Doug and Mercer Riis have an impressive collection of conifers in their backyard retreat which Doug has built over a period of more than two decades.  He dug out this landscape with a backhoe to create streams, waterfalls, Koi Pond and a pollinator garden as well as stunning topography to display his collection.  If you think conifers (cone-bearing, needled evergreens) are unexceptional, you would be surprised at the array of color, form and texture that comprise the conifer varieties in Doug’s collection.  The entrance to his garden is marked by a Torii gate which is traditionally used at the entrance to a Shinto Shrine to mark the transition from the profane to the sacred.  It is at this gate that we were greeted by Doug and began our tour.  

Doug, a member of the American Conifer Society, has carefully selected his collection from numerous local nurseries over the years including a few rare discoveries of affordable and select cultivars at Home Depot including a Pinus Jeffreyi ‘Joppi’ and a Japanese Black Pine. His garden was one of four featured at the 2023 annual meeting of the Northeast Section of the American Conifer Society and all trees have permanent labels listing the Genus, species and cultivars, including common names.  

In addition to the conifer collection, Doug has numerous varieties of Japanese maples that lighten and brighten the landscape with their lacy and colorful leaves and act as a glowing contrast to the more dense conifers.   A Japanese Umbrella Pine, reaching over 30’ tall is the centerpiece of the landscape on the slope between streams running down either side which collect in the Koi pond below.   

Some other notables in his collection include Bristle Cone Pines, Himalayan Cedar, Bosnian Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Japanese White Pine, Japanese Red Pine, and Scotch Pine among many others.  They range in height from the towering Umbrella Pine to the diminutive Macedonian Fir. 

The maintenance of such a collection can be burdensome since extensive pruning is required at least three times per year to maintain the form that Doug wishes to bring out in the conifers as well as to give enough space between each planting.  In some cases, he subscribes to the school of thought of pruning to open up the tree “so that birds can fly through it.”  That results in an almost sculptural appearance of some of his multi-stemmed shrubs and trees.  

Doug and Mercer have hosted many visits from Garden Clubs and other groups and would welcome inquiries from others. Doug can be reached at dnriis@gmail.com.

Enjoy these pictures of Doug Riis’ special place in Dover.