"I Speak For The Trees"

 Although we are on a small urban footprint here in town, we have managed to punctuate the landscape with enough small conifers and acers (maples) to keep the Lorax happy.  Below is a selection that we have planted this year.

This little gem is Picea Orientalis 'Tom Thumb' on a standard graft.  This is one that has been on the wish list for a while and during a recent trip to Whistling Gardens (Wilsonville, ON), I saw a few that were on fall clearance.  I like it against the backdrop of the shed here and looking forward that yellow really popping in the colder winter months.

Another one from the same trip to Darren's (Whistling Gardens) is Pinus Sylvestris 'Beacon Hill'.  This one should develop into a nice bun of green needles and this one already has some small cones appearing.

From our spring trip to see Darren, we have Pinus Contorta 'Taylor's Sunburst'.  This one has bright yellow new growth that lasts into early summer, when it returns to green.  This will become a nice medium tree and it is truly spectacular in the spring.  Darren only had one of these this year, and he told us that it is getting harder and harder to find stock to fill his garden center.  Glad we found it when we did.

Enjoying a little afternoon shade, here is Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'.  This is one of the few trees that we have that were not purchased from Darren.  This will grow into a nice medium size maple and has a tremendous spring show of flushed orange and yellow leaves.  I am wondering if we are going to get any fall colour this year.  Fingers crossed.

This guy is nameless.  Purchased at Home Depot in the spring for 34$!!!  It is clearly a weeping blue spruce (Picea Pungens) but not sure what variety.  Either way, it brightens up the slightly shady spot where it is planted and looking forward to it cascading down over the years.

Another standard grafted specimen in the yard is this small pine (Pinus Strobus).  I think this one is the variety 'Mini Twists'.  It is looking a little sad at the moment, with lots of interior browning, but hoping it bounces back ok.

Finally, we have Pinus Parviflora "Tanima No Yuki".  This is a beautiful little Japanese pine that pushes white and pink new growth in the spring.  This guy was a refugee from our town house that we moved last year, and from the amazing new growth that it put on in the spring, I think it is happy in its new home.  It does need some protection from the sun, like many white needled/leaved plants, but it is quite content under the canopy of the locust.

Others not shown here include:  Acer palmatum "Tsuma Gaki", Acer palmatum "Gold Digger", Acer palmatum "Strawberry Spring", and Acer palmatum "Rhode Island Red"

Listening to:  "An Ocean in Between the Waves" by The War on Drugs