After waiting all summer, it's finally underway! :D Red Dragon as a nice focal point to the right of the front walkway, Spiralis up by/to the right of the front door, Sulphurea just outside the right corner of the house (just a little guy), and Seiryu right at the end by the driveway. The two large pots at the edge of the bed to the left of the walkway, Gyokuryu and Blue Ice, will hopefully go in this weekend after hubby digs the holes. Hillside Wintergold, in the yard just up from the birch, I hope to also put in this weekend, as well as Viridis, the dissectum in front of the above mentioned Gyokuryu and Blue Ice. The large crape myrtle will meet its doom next spring/summer, and the plan is for Wild Fire (in a pot beside the myrtle in the pictures) to take its place. The birch may or may not stay (love the look of it, but don't like that it will more than double in size over time); if it goes, I'm thinking of a red maple there, perhaps Nuresagi. The rest of the pots placed throughout the beds may end up there, or they may not... I'll have to wait for inspiration to hit me for those. But, I am torn as to what to plant up by the front door. (I would prefer to stay with a Japanese maple, but am not set on it.) It faces west, so in the summer, it gets very hot and bright; I'd like to plant a tree there to provide some shade, not only for the front door, but also for the dining room window (the double window to the left of the front entry). The tree has to go right up by the house because there is next to no shadow cast during the height of summer. I'd like something ~12-15' tall ultimately, and with a broad canopy similar in size that will arch over the stairs, window and sidewalk. That spot receives full sun from noon to 6pm, before and after it's in shade. With Seiryu at the end by the driveway, and two large dissectums in front of the house, I'm thinking that Judith Ann - the potted tree in that spot in the picture, similar to Seiryu and another chartreuse/green upright dissectum - may be too much of the same thing. I know Summer Gold would do well there for sun exposure, but I don't know if it will have the right shape. I don't really have anything orange in fall, and I like the look of the leaves on Hogyoku but again, will it have the right shape/size? Nothing red as that will blend into the brick too much, plus I don't want to detract from Red Dragon? I'm open to suggestions as to what would look nice there, be tolerant of the full afternoon sun (zone 7b, northern Alabama), and have the right size/shape.
Consider Acer shirasawanum 'Palmatifolium' as it is the most heat tolerant tree I know of and remains beautiful all Summer against the harshest conditions. Then fall is amazing followed by a very pleasing form over Winter. Its an amazing variety that is all too often overlooked. But those who have one discover how it's a dark horse and quickly becomes a dependable star in their collection. A word of warning, don't be disappointed when the Abies concolor Winter gold does not survive your heat. I rarely loose things and my 350.00 specimen from Buchholz bit the dust after our hot and dry Summer. We had success with it for many years and lost the tight rope walk of extreme heat and drought and a variety that does not want too much water. In extreme heat its a fine line of not enough water and too much water. I'm not saying you will fail, I'm just saying I did and that is something that rarely happens and I don't take loosing things lightly; I guess I'm saying don't break your budget giving it a try as its a high risk investment in my experience. One other tip that I learned the hard way, never buy a dwarf or super dwarf conifer variety that is balled and burlap. Many don't have the strength and ability to compensate for the root loss during the digging process and you end up buying an expensive zombie (living dead). A tree that looks alive but is dead. Sometimes they will even put on a little new growth and can look good for a year before collapsing. My advice...Always buy dwarf and super dwarf conifers that are container grown. No exceptions!
for your sun expo the best is Acer palmatum Fire Glow is on italian select and well grown in full sun A.
