Chicken Progress and More Mini Conifers

Bent Creek's "March Blows" is turning out to be a fast stitch.  I did not work on it for more than an hour or so yesterday, and made good progress.  I'll probably be able to finish it up today.

In other chicken news...

our friend's "girls" are growing into handsome young hens.

They have imprinted on their owner and are easily fed by hand.

It's Tuesday - "Garden Party Day" - so I thought I'd continue to share photos and info about the dwarf conifers I own. 

Three of the four green pots above are centered with conifers for year-around interest.  In May I add in annuals and perennials to "plump" up the color.

Abies blasamea "Nana"

This dwarf balsam fir has super color.  The older growth is dark green, the new growth a bright green.  It will make a tight blue-green flat topped 2' mound when mature.  It lives happily in zones 3-6. 

Juniperus squamata "Blue Star"

This juniper called Blue Star has super color and great spiky branches.  IT is quite small - the lobelia and nasturtiums are almost overwhelming it.  When mature it will be just 2' high and make a low mound.  It tolerates full sun and grows well in zones 4-9.  The dense blue foliage is a year-around performer.

  

Chamaecyparis thyoides "Shiva"

I've had this plant for several years now - 5? - 8? And it has double in size during that time.  It is still a reasonable "pot-plant" ringed with Arctotis daisies in a whiskey barrel.  Again a full sun tolerant, I have it on the north side of the house so it does well in semi-shade too.  According to the tag it is supposed to reach 6' in height, but is taking it's own sweet time to get there. The tag describes the foliage as a soft blue-green - I'd call it more for a lime green. 

Unknown

I've lost the tag for this beauty - a fir?  A spruce?  I've had it for about three years now and it is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.  I can vouch that it weathered our 10F December 2009 temperatures without a dropped needle.

 

Chamaecyparis l. "Somerset"

I bought this plant from Xera in early June.  As my Grandfather used to say, 

"It is bee-you-tea-full."  It is a lovely cypress and will grow to 8' in 5 years.  Its new growth is a light chartreuse before turning into a light blue-green.  So in the spring, this a a two-toned plant - the outer plant one color, the inner plant another.  It is good to zone 5b and will take -15F!  Also is drought tolerant when established and resistant to sub-freezing winds.  A keeper for sure.   

Last week I had several comments to my post and some great suggestions for other conifers to use in containers including:

Platycladus orientalis 'Aureus Nanus'

and Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Curly Tops'.