being a blue freak.. back in the day.. i had about 10 of them ... and frankly.. after a year or 3.. i couldnt tell them apart .... in any aspect ... lol

you have goldilocks on your blue list????

ken

Well, that is just my parviflora list. Not all of these are blue besides the Goldilocks. Cuddles is not blue either.

I agree with Al about time of year and site conditions. 'Blauer Engel' like Al's has such a great deep blue. I saw a few last year at various nurseries that really popped and stood out from the rest.

I'll have to take photos of the few parvs I have.

Scott, I think you'll have to add 'Kinpo' to your wishlist. It's not the bluest but definitely one of the best small parvs.

The examples shown here are all so blue they look artificial. With the one being seen against the pink maple a particularly arresting effect.

Each to their own. The way the camera in our heads views and creates the world around us is a unique experience for each individual. There is no correct view, only different vantage points. I love the vivid contrasting colors of these fantastic variants which are also naturally occuring in nature. I do understand where you are coming from. I can see how they would look overblown and too colorful, but then again they are quite fascinating. Just like the eye popping colors of flowers. The world is beautiful in all forms. =)

Arresting or drive one to pull up a chair and admire? Chair please!

My small 'Aoi'

not all that blue

ron

even less blue 'Rons Broom'

Nice Ron. 'Ron's Broom' is also known as 'Regenhold Broom'. I got to visit Ron and Judy's garden last year. Unfortunately the Pinus parviflora 'Glauca' that had the original broom was no longer alive in their garden but it's cool that we now have a little piece in ours. =)

Well my parvs aren't the bluest but they are still fun to share.

Here's my 'Regenhold Broom'.

'Kinpo'

'Aoi'. The name means blue in Japanese. It is a nice green blue. My camera was not showing the color well at the time of day I took it. Not the bluest but a nice narrow form.

SWEET Garen

funny how the form is a little dif. on our 'Rons'

Ya Ron, my ‘Ron’ may look slightly different from your ‘Ron’ perhaps due to the stunted needle length and growth rate from being potted up the year before and then transplanted into my garden this spring. They usually don’t show their true nature until they have been happily in the ground for a few years. My Aoi was a tiny slow blue ball the first four years then it started growing up and much faster.

what I mean is , mine seems tighter

here as planted

ron

alley_cat_gw what is the type of maple in the picture above?

Hey Scott, Ap 'Skeeter's Broom'.
Highly recommend...
Al

How close is the Skeeter's Broom planted to your Gimborn's Ideal? Just curious. I want to get some maples and just want a guide as to what others are doing. Thanks.

Hey Scott, I dug up the Gimborn and gave it away. I was using it as a 'filler' until my Skylands needed the room.
I also moved the skeeters broom this past fall which was a strategy to shade the skyland years ago when it was a lot smaller and susceptible to burning up.
Below is a photo with the pine gone.

what we need is more pics of Al's yard

ron

I'm in 7b Md.....I'm wondering where your located.
Below is skeeters new location and the Skylands is on its own...sink or swim.
Again...moved last fall..

Not in a place that is really conducive to maples, but I have pretty goo micro climate now that should work with some of the extra tough maples like Emperor I, Skeeters Broom, Fireglow, etc.

I'm in 6a in western Kansas, which no one has a clue of the extremes we go through. Wind, hot summers, etc.

We have had a fall polar vortex the last 2 years. This last fall was the toughest. 80 degree days, 55 at nights. Nothing any colder than that at all through the middle of October. Then one day, 15 degrees. I lost some ginkgos, and some expensive younger dwarf conifers. If we get another one this year, it may put another number on my plants.

My Acer shirasawanum Aureum came out of it great, so I think maples should do ok, if we can get a couple years on them before another fall polar vortex.

Sounds good Scott! This weather can be wacky for sure. If Acer shirasawanum is working for you (and aureum can be difficult) you may want to look at 'Gloria' as a possible contender. I've got a small one around here that I like. It does get a fair amount of shade though.
How about cranking out some photos...lol...it's been a while!

Most of my stuff will have full sun. The aureum has the luxury of some good filtered light and late, late afternoon sun.