I haven't taken many pictures lately, but since Autumn is just beginning, I snapped a few in the sun. I didn't really get a chance to label them, but you can see the difference a few days makes for A. mandshuricum. It is always early, quick, and spectacular. The second picture is 33 maples off to a new home. Third is proof that fall has begun. After the current mandshuricum is tsinglingense just beginning, Emmett's Pumpkin, a young diabolicum earlier than the others, and a look across early Aconitifolium and Ariandne.
Great pics Rich! 'Baldsmith' is such a good one. Is that a Monkey Puzzle I see reaching in from the left? ;) I got out and took some yesterday, between squalls. Still early colors, but a lot of very bright reds and purples.
Here are the last few that wouldn't fit in the prev post: I have a few evals now of Mint Chocolate Curl, it is looking quite nice. The leaves are broad and convex, but then flip upwards in summer, makes interesting forms. -E P.S. Sorry the first pic was from last Jan, don't know how it slipped in there.
The colours of this one, probably a circinatum from seed, are magnificent each year. Today, it's a flashing red, enhanced by the pale green of Acer pentaphyllum :
Very pretty picture the last. My pentas never end up looking that great in this season. Here's some more, after most of the week in Paris. Amazing what a few days does, not the time of the year to leave the garden... The 2 pics of 'Hana-matoi' are 4 days apart. My camera has trouble with 'Mirte', I think because of the range of colors present. I've done my best, but the reds are much redder than shown. I'm very sorry to report the passing of James Gordon Harris. Mr. Harris (who I only dared address as James during the last year or so) was a famed nursery- and plantsman, author of The Gardener's Guide to Maples, owner and operator of Mallet Court Nursery, Vice-President of The Maple Society (and more recently of TMSBI), noted also in the oak world and dendrology more generally, plant explorer and gentleman. He found and introduced Acer okamotoanum, and kept the faith for decades by growing many Asian maples from seed. I am fortunate to have several of his plants in the garden, including Acers okamotoanum and calcaratum. We first met sometime in the early 1990s, in the parking lot of a McDonalds, in the outskirts of Caen. Our wives, both present, but now departed, were both amused and aghast. In those happier times before Brexit, Mr Harris was on the way to one of the big French Plant Fairs, and was gracious enough to meet me on the way and sell us several plants for our then-empty garden. Two of these are visible in the second picture: the "real" Sango-kaku, and Liquidambar styraciflua 'Silver King', a tiny plant which is now a focal point of this area. Godspeed Mr Harris on this next leg of his journey. -E
@emery , I of course did not know Mr. Harris, but of course that's sad news just the same, and interesting to read about. Mallet Court Nursery is listed on this resource page. Maples: Nurseries Specializing in Maples Outside of North America | UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Could you check after a bit to see if it will continue to operate and if so, will it be the same name, or will the name and website change?
I heard today that the intent is for his assistant to take over the nursery. We believe his name is Balish but are unsure of the spelling, as we have never spoken. He has worked with Mr. Harris for many years now. -E
Very pretty Rich. Interesting that you're a bit behind us to the South. Are we going to see you next weekend? I took a few pics today and needed to get one off of my phone, so I will post in a timely manner for once. Here's the latest. Kind of a random grab-bag. The first shot is the view of the garden when coming back from mushrooming. The second is Acer sieboldianum. The next few shots are eval plants that are looking pretty good. Later on, there are some unlabeled shots of A. rufinerve 'Albolimbatum'. The pretty micranthum at the end is ready to go to a new home, more's the pity, as I would have been delighted to plant it in the garden. -E
Good morning - probably a quarter of mine have dropped their leaves. Unfortunately, I can’t make the meeting next weekend, real shame, I’d really like to have attended. Its the only weekend I have free to go to Westonbirt for the Autumn fall, as I’m a paid up Friend of Westonbirt I should probably go.
@emery you’re photos are superb - “Joe” is very interesting, not seen that one before - I think it looks similar to Fairy Lights, I don’t have that either!
Thanks, Rich! Sorry we won't see you, but I think the trip to Westonbirt will be well worth it, lol. I may have the only 'Joe' in Europe for now, but as it grows I will certainly graft it and get it into circulation. There will be very few in the US as well, perhaps none old enough to take wood from, as it appears it may be dwarfing. We'll see. It is a selected seedling planted by the late Joe Shinn, Ed Shinn's brother. It was initially called 'Joe's Seedling' but we thought 'Joe' was a better name for introduction. My graft is only from last winter. -E
Getting ready to go to the tmsbi meeting this WE, so posting pics from the last 3 days. A couple of things: although Alain's and my takesimense are sister plants, there is a wide variation in these seedlings. On mine the colors are brilliant but very fleeting; it quickly goes brown. Alain's is more dissected. Still struggling with Mirte, this one is pretty faithful. A lot of the cvs that are normally very orange have a lot of red this year, like Keikan-zan and Hōgyoku in the post to follow. The pauciflorum is one of the "true" seedlings, and it colors just like the parent, who dropped leaf very early this fall. The coloring of floridanum is very poor, the leaves are much greener and the red much darker, but I wanted to include it for the pretty shadings. -E
