A few photos of my 'Hillside Creeper'

Yeah, of the two, I think I like AP better. A little stiffer, a bit more architectural. It seems to grow more slowly than HC. Where are you thinking of placing your HC?

Scott

I already planted them at the end of the driveway right by those two metal posts sunk in concrete. The intent was to brick those two metal things up to match the brickwork of the house. I guess we'll take care of that this year when we finish off a few hip walls. I think the Creepers will look really nice up against the brick. The 'Albyn's Prostrate' has a shorter needle and it has the added benefit of being slower growing as well as attractive. It had been my intent to flank the Creepers with two more Evergreens that were ground hugging and you may have just solved my problem. I had looked at Juniperus horizontalis and believed that might be a viable option too. There are several attractive cultivars of that out on the market that I've seen photos of. I'd like to mix up some texture down there and then fill in with deciduous plantings. Big problem is that I'm not good with design. I try but I don't have that touch so I end up buying what I like the looks of. At least if it doesn't flow like a sopher design, I will still like looking at what's planted in the ground.

We tore down a 20' crescent shaped planter over in the nw corner of the yard and planted the 'Uncle Fogy' there. I'm going to fill in with other pines. I needed a wind break that was about 75' from the house but desperately needed shelter for the birds in the form of Evergreens which were sorely lacking from this property.

I could say a lot about Rich's Foxwillow Pines...but I won't. Just let me say they have lots of absolutely gorgeous, very expensive plants.

Here's today's shot of Albyn's Prostrate. With the phlox coming into bloom, it is beginning to approach my vision when I designed this part of the garden. As such, the pine is better defined.

Scott

Nicely done, Snakebark (you want it, you got it). Did you build that dry stone wall? I built a wall about the same height out of modular landscape blocks and I hate it. My wife, who is usually tactful, put it in no uncertain terms that she disliked it as well. Modular and landscape should not be used in the same sentence.

Thanks! Yeah, I have a thing for stone walls. When we didn't (and still don't) have any money, and I wanted to do something in the garden, I would go to construction sites and throw a couple of tons of loose rocks in my truck, drive them home, and stack them up. For some reason, and I don't know the reason myself, it always seemed like it was in mid-winter, 35F, and raining. At any rate, I once estimated that I have hauled at least 50 tons of stone into my yard.

That wall in the background was one of my first attempts and I really didn't know what I was doing. It is just a single thickness, and you can see right through it. My newer walls are much better, basically two walls side by side leaning into each other and inter-locked.

I have never been a great fan of interlocking pressure formed bricks either. Overall, they are an easy, cheap, and entirely functional way of wall-building, and used with restraint they can look decent, but I wonder if in twenty years they won't just look very dated. Real stone is timeless, classic, and only improves with age.

Scott

Great combo of texture! I love the stone, the evergreen, and the phlox together! Really attractive regardless of what you think of your handiwork!