How I Started This Whole Flowering Spruce Thing
Last summer, I was just wandering around my neighborhood park, and bam! I saw this amazing spruce tree with these little pink cones – like tiny flowers blooming all over it. That stuck in my head, you know? I couldn’t stop thinking about how cool it would look in my yard. So right then, I decided to hunt down the best flowering spruce tree varieties myself.
Diving Into The Research Mess
First, I grabbed my laptop and started googling like crazy. I typed in “spruces with cool flowers” or something simple like that – no fancy words here! I found some gardening forums and read through tons of posts. Most folks said things like “try dwarf spruces for small gardens,” but they weren’t real specific. So I figured, screw it, I gotta just do it myself. I hit up my local nursery the next week, talked to this old dude who runs the place. He pointed at a few options and mumbled something about “hardy” or whatever – I didn’t catch half of it, but he showed me three types:
- Blue Wonder spruce – He said it’s got blue needles and these purple cones that pop up.
- Weeping Norway spruce – Droopy branches with green cones that turn red.
- Birds Nest spruce – Short and round, almost like a bush, with yellow flowers in spring.
I ended up buying one of each because, hey, why not go all in? Carried ’em to my car feeling like I just won the lottery – only to get home and realize I had no clue where to plant ’em.
The Actual Planting Chaos
Alright, so I cleared a spot in my backyard – dug some holes, threw in compost from my old pile (it smelled kinda funky, but whatever). I planted the Blue Wonder spruce first, shoving it deep and watering it good. But then rain poured down for days, turning my soil into mud soup. The Weeping Norway spruce ended up flopping over sideways – total disaster! I propped it up with sticks and ropes, thinking it might die off. Meanwhile, the Birds Nest one was doing fine, but squirrels chewed on the base. I got mad and sprayed some soapy water around it – my wife laughed at me, calling it a “redneck fix.”
What Happened After All That Drama
Fast-forward a few months, and let’s just say things got real interesting. The Blue Wonder spruce? It grew slow and steady, with those purple cones showing up in fall – gorgeous! The Weeping Norway one straightened out after I trimmed some branches; now it weeps elegantly, with red cones all over. But the Birds Nest spruce never flowered much – stayed green and boring, so I yanked it out later. Over time, I added a fourth one: Golden Glory spruce, which some friend mentioned. Planted it near my porch, and bingo! It grew fast with golden needles and yellow flowers. So after all that hassle, here’s what I learned are amazing choices for regular folks like us:
- Blue Wonder spruce – Perfect if you want low-maintenance color without growing too big.
- Weeping Norway spruce – Looks fancy as hell once it settles down, great for big yards.
- Golden Glory spruce – My favorite now, brightens up dull spots and flowers fast.
Honestly, it was a messy ride with mistakes left and right – like that squirrel battle – but figuring it out myself made it way more fun. Next up, I might mess around with more types, but for now, I’m just enjoying the view.
