What is a bit frustrating about getting hooked on JM is that it can be very problematic getting what one wants as so many varieties are difficult to source. I would imagine that it must be somewhat easier being in the continental US with a greater chance of finding more of these cultivars but I am in Ontario and I think I have made contact with those (few) nurseries which seem to specialize in carrying JM and it isn't easy getting what one wants (variety and or size).
It can be frustrating at times, but sometimes the search and the people you meet along the way is the best part. What makes these trees lovely is that they are hard to find and the most beautiful ones are grown by the best growers in the world. If the big box stores started caring them, they would no longer be unusual and the quality would suffer. I can't offer one solution that will make it easy. But I will try to offer a few, that collectively may increase your success. First, I recommend building a relationship with those nurseries that you have identified in your area that specialize in Japanese maples. Get to know the owner or manager. Find out who does their purchasing. Find out how much they source from local growers (if any) and find out what varieties are grown locally. The benefit to the local supply is that the trees are already acclimated to your environment. The other benefit is that you can get those grown locally the fastest. Most nurseries buy from local growers throughout the season. The nurseries that they do business with out west, they may only order from once a year. Which leads me to my next solution. Find out what nurseries they buy from out west. Do a Google search and go to those nurseries website and see what varieties they offer. Please note, as a retail customer you will not be able to see pricing or inventory. But most will have a list of varieties that they grow. Once you identify what varieties they offer that you want, contact your local nursery manager or purchaser and let them know what varieties you want. They will contact the grower or login to their inventory list online. A good local nursery should then contact you with what's available, the price, and when they can get it in for you. Sometimes it may not be until next year. Keep in mind that most nurseries will place their order mid to late summer for next year. Most importantly, if you tell them you want something and they get it for you, follow through and buy it. If you decide once its arrived that you changed your mind, or spent your landscape budget for the year already and tell them you no longer want it or you found it somewhere else...ect. You just destroyed your relationship with that nursery and they will no longer want to help get things in for you in the future. Now if the tree is half dead or damaged severely, then no reputable nursery will make you buy it. They will apologize, get another one, and work out the problem tree with their supplier. Otherwise, when a nursery orders something for me, I tell myself I bought it, and will make it work no matter what when it arrives. Most will not ask for money until it gets in and you pick it up. But once that order is placed, in your own mind, you bought it, don't back out. In my area the most popular growers out west are Buchholz Nursery, Bizon Nursery, and Iseli Nursery. I am probably on their website checking things out more than they are. I should be a sales rep, because I am promoting their business to our local nurseries more than they are, telling the local nurseries about new introductions or what to buy. It would be nice to be making commission on their orders..ha ha. Over the winter, do Google searches, investigate other local nurseries that are in your range of willingness to travel. My wife and I think nothing of driving an hour to a nursery. We have been guilty of making a day trip to a nursery several hours away. Do your homework first and make sure it's worth the drive. Call first to get a feel for things or check out their website. Make sure it’s worth the drive and they have things that interest you before making the trip. Don't just ask, do you have Japanese maples? Rather ask how many varieties do you carry. If they say too many to keep track of, jump in the car and go. Ask what varieties they have, rather than asking if "do you have this one, oh how about that one". Otherwise if you ask an open question like, do you have Japanese maples, they say yes, and you show up and they have 20 'bloodgood' that you just drove 2 hours to see. It is very disappointing. Make sure it’s worth checking out before going. After Christmas is a good time to start making calls, because most nurseries and garden centers are slow and they have more time to talk. Let them know you are very interested in Japanese maples and find out what they are getting in for spring. Find out when their shipment is coming, make up your list, and shipment dates. Then follow up with a call at that time to make sure the trees have arrived. See if it's not too late to have trees added to their shipment for you. Once all else has failed and you exhausted all your resources, find an online retail grower that ships to Canada. They will offer smaller sizes, after you factor in the cost of the tree and shipping it can be a very expensive option. But, it’s a way to get that gotta have variety that you can't get locally. Please note, the success rate is lower and the amount of care is much higher for 1-3 year grafts. That's my 2 cents, I hope you find it helpful. Good luck and hang in there. It is possible, it just takes time, but it can be very rewarding.
As an avid *perennial* gardener who relishes the search for interesting plants and thus patronizes and supports specialty nurseries, I understand and I agree completely. I very much appreciate the time and effort you put in to creating this detailed response. Funny you mention this as I did just that a couple of weeks back. Specifically the Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' that I obtained from a reasonably local nursery had a tag stating that it was from Eshraghi Nursery (Oregon). I emailed them inquiring about the availability of "Brandt's Dwarf" and quickly received a reply letting me know that they do not grow this variety. Good point and I do have that at the back of my mind. Right now I have a couple of nurseries that have said they will inquire of their suppliers (probably early in the new year) but I have told them to call me first prior to making the order as I can imagine multiple nurseries each bringing in a tree for me! That is true for me (but not for my wife ;)); actually I would rather her not there as once *I* have purchased something on my own and brought it home it is too late to return it ;). I know exactly what you are saying as I have had to do this all them time when searching out less common perennial plants. Thanks again for your advice.
Did you check out: http://www.eshraghinursery.com/catalog I would guess that these are the varieties they grow. It's not saying that they are available right now (as much of their plants, they grow out and release a limited supply once a year for sale. Then they continue to let the others grow further for a release in the future) Usually things are pretty picked over this time of year, they are usually getting ready to start shipping for spring (most of their orders were probably over the summer and early fall). Don't give up though, because more will be released next year. But it's good to check out the catalog and get to know the varieties offered. Another thing to consider is substitution. Maybe there is a variety you want, but is not available. But after doing some research you find another variety that is almost the exact same or even better. If this grower offers it, then the chances of owning it in the near future go up. Sometimes you have to get creative to get what you want.
Have you looked at Whistling Gardens in Wilsonville, ON. I met the owner, Darren, through a mutual interest in conifers, & he supplied me with some rare maples as well. His 2013 plant list show many Acer palmatum selections http://www.whistlinggardens.ca/
Yes 'kbguess'. In fact I have corresponded with Darren over the past couple of weeks and he is keeping my requests in mind (for example "Brandt's Dwarf" is not in his catalogue).
