Confiner gardens can take on many looks. And many of the same garden principles apply when making selections and laying out the design. Variation in size, height, shape, color and texture all create interest for the eye. We are big proponents of adding yellow (i.e., Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Crippsii') to liven up a planting as well as the blues of Abies and Juniperus. We like to contrast these against rich dark greens with added contrast coming from plants like the beautiful, deciduous Larix, among others.

In addition, Twombly Nursery is known for its unique selections of Japanese Maples, Acer palmatums & A. pal dissectums. These are traditional companions in conifer gardens. We like to soften up our plantings with ornamental grasses and specimen trees of character such as Acer griseum (Paperback Maple), Fagus sylvatica 'Tortosa', Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’, Salix matsudana ‘Scarlet Curls’ and Stewartia pseudocamellia – among others. The use of heath and heathers as ground covers completes the picture by unifying a design.

The listing of beautiful and garden worthy conifers would fill a large reference book (as it does in the two volume set "Conifers: The Illustrated Encyclopedia" by D.M van Gelderen & J.R.P. van Hoey Smith). We’ll offer you a taste of some of our favorites which are commercially grown and perform well in our New England location.