A Conifer Collection

That is, he improves the soil in the planting hole with a rich blend of peat moss, pine bark and sand. "Remember, if you remove all the native soil from a planting hole and replace it with nothing but improved soil, potting mix or rich compost, then it's entirely possible that the tree's roots are going to remain in that area of improved soil for years instead of reaching out into the surrounding soil. As a result, the tree's roots may not anchor the tree properly and chances are the tree won't grow well. But this tree requires rich fertile soil, so I'm going to compromise by mixing half the native soil with an equal amount of planting mix. I've also planted the tree in a spot that receives a few hours of morning sun followed by mostly afternoon shade. That should help it get through the hot summer months without any burn or worse."

In their native Pacific Northwest home, these trees can easily grow to 100 feet tall, but in James' neck of the woods, they rarely reach that height and that's over a period of 50 to 60 years. "I'm planting them here in what was once my veggie garden, and I won't have to amend the soil because it's nearly perfect." The soil is a slightly acidic sandy loam that drains well, and the area offers protection from drying winds, both of which these evergreens need, especially during the winter. These twin trees will serve as the skeletal frame or backbone of what will ultimately be a cool collection of conifers.

The next conifer, an upright spruce, is also going in the old veggie garden. Unfortunately, this tree was not labeled properly at the nursery. "The tag read Siberian spruce, but according to all the references I've checked, there is no such thing," James says. "But there is a Serbian spruce and the needles of this tree do indeed match the description for that particular Picea. This tree, which can grow to 90 feet tall, ages far more gracefully than the more familiar Norway spruce. It grows fairly quickly when young but slows down considerably in a few years. "You may be wondering why I'm planting what are potentially some very large trees in what is clearly a very small space. I can enjoy these slow-growing specimens for a good 10, 12, maybe even 15 years before they outgrow the space."

The next evergreen James plants is a San Jose juniper (figure C), one that has been pruned to look rather spider-esque. "Ordinarily I'm not a big fan of carefully pruned plants, but I like this one. And I needed something low to complement the more upright spruce and weeping Chamaecyparis." James places the tree in a spot where it will gently drape over the stone border, and with that done, he prunes it just a bit, which is something he'll have to do routinely throughout the growing season.

"Now even these rugged plants won't last long in such small containers, but I can certainly enjoy them for several weeks or months (figure G)."

According to James, every time he goes shopping for plants, the folks at the nursery always ask when he's going to run out of room. "Although it's true that I've added a number of plants to my landscape--well over 2,000 of them--there's always room for more. And who knows, maybe I'll move and start all over again."