Gone BNF

The world of conifer collecting is a relatively small one. The members of this world either know or know of each other. When I first entered this conifer collecting world, it was not so easy to locate other conifer collectors. One had to actively search for another conifer collector. I was lucky in that one of the most active collectors in the country lived just a few minutes from my home. He gave me contact information for several other collectors and they, in turn, led me to additional conifer people. Today with the internet and the American Conifer Society, it is relatively very simple to locate any number of conifer collectors, both local and far away.

During the 1950's and 1960's there were several people who were widely known for their conifer collections and for the odd conifers that they sold. When I began collecting in 1974, I dealt with some of these same people, who were then in their sixties and seventies. As I came to know them, I soon discovered there were few collectors who showed any interest in pursuing conifer collecting as a business. Some of these friends shared this same concern. Because of their influence and my own obsession with conifers, I decided to pursue a rare conifer business as an avocation, eventually seeing it become well known in many parts of the world. (The need for such a business was apparent. As I hunted for new sources of rare conifers, I had problems finding any at all.) In recent years, new blood has come into the dwarf conifer collecting world, and new sources have appeared for these specialty plants. Demand has increased and a number of retail specialty nurseries have appeared.

Since I began conifer collecting as one generation was passing and another was assuming their mantle, I thought that some of the newer conifer collecting enthusiasts might enjoy sharing some of my experiences with friends who are no longer with us but who have influenced all who deal with unusual conifers. I have shown most of them in my cover picture. Many of my readers may have met one or more of the people about whom I have written. If so, I hope I can recall some pleasant memories. I have also mentioned many of my friends who are still active in the conifer world throughout this book. They are pictured on the back cover.

The people I have mentioned here are not the only good plants people who have died, but they were the ones who were very special to me. I treasured each friendship and miss each one in a different way. For readers who knew any of these individuals, I hope I can rekindle some fine memories. For those who have only been acquainted with the individual's name, I have shared some of my experiences with and have given a few insights into these people. Years from now I will enjoy rereading this book and fondly remember all of my friends who can no longer share conifers with me.

The following thumbnails are from the book and tell my story about a real good friend: Joe Reis. Click on each to see it full sized.

Home Page
Book Sales Catalog
DVD Catalog
Ordering Information
Order Form