h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Dwarf Alberta Spruces - A88008988
Author: pauh, making lemonade form the lemons that life has given me - U176638

A88008988

I can attest to the resilience of these trees. We planted 14 of them along the entrance to our trailer park or in p0lanters, and all but one of them has done really well, growing steadily and looking attractive. I have seen people talking photos of them. If we have given them landscaping ideas, so much the better!

Hi Paul - thanks for writing this and putting it in Peer Review

Nice concise Entry. A couple of things I wondered... Is it native to Alberta in Canada? Is there a non-dwarf variety?

Yes to both questions

It was "discovered in 1904 in the Northern Rockies near Lake Laggan, Alberta as two Arnold Arboretum botanists awaited the arrival of their train to take them back to Boston."
http://www.uaex.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/dwarf-alberta-spruce.aspx#:~:text=Dwarf%20Alberta%20Spruce%20was%20discovered,take%20them%20back%20to%20Boston.

It is the dwarf variety of White Spruce, Picea Glauca. In fact, sometimes a branch will revert to the full-size White Spruce, throwing the whole tree off-balance.

Aha

It's a really pretty plant that looks soft and furry, almost like a green teddy bear. I've never seen one that didn't look cuddly to me. I love them dearly. I've also never seen one taller than about twelve feet tall.

That's why I felt the guide needed an article about them. Apparently you can get them in the U.K., though I don't know how readily available they are.

Hi, Sasha. I've just gone through the entry and tweaked it so the paragraphs are not forbiddingly long. I've also tried to convey how the plant looks, so people can get a sense of why I wanted to bring it to their attention.

"a soft, cuddly, teddy-bear of an evergreen" - lovely description

I hope to hook people into admiring it.

I found a link to a royalty-free picture:

[link to alamy royalty-free photos:
http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/picea-glauca-conica.html?irclickid=ULiScLwRvxyLT2y05-R4sULoUkE3m4z7h0D%3A3M0&irgwc=1&utm_source=2003851&utm_campaign=Shop%20Royalty%20Free%20at%20Alamy&utm_medium=impact]

For what it's worth, I have just given a link to an H2G2 entry on principles of landscape gardening, for the reader who wants to see how this would fit in the big picture.

There aren't any other guide entries that would be a good fit for this, form what I can see. If anyone has ideas for other entries, let me know.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Thank you so much.

I have a lot of affection for these trees.

Congratulations!