So sorry to hear this story Lisa. But you have her close to you, under yours and her maple. I do hope you keep that profile photo.
The weather is just about right here in Southern England ATM, 20° c with some rain at night. It's perfect for maples. So I thought I would post my Ghosts in their Summer colours. My replacement Baby Ghost Replacement Purple Ghost First Ghost Grandma Ghost Uncle Ghost Amber Ghost X2 ( including underside) Sister Ghost x2
I'm not so often in front of a screen these days, but here are a few pics I wanted to share. Nothing spectacular : maples in the vicinity ;-) Acer platanoides, "Norway" maple, érable plane. They're everywhere, but it's not because they're modest trees that they shouldn't be here ! In a small park, nearby. They're dancing, swinging, bop-doo-wop... There's this old seminary, then hospital for the US troops until 1963 (or so), then an old people's home, now probably waiting to be pulled down. An Acer triflorum, about 6 metres tall. I must tell the local authorities not to harm it ! I'm not sure this Acer saccharinum was planted or if it grew from seed, this tree is so frequent her as a street tree now. Personally, I think they're too many : Walking back home. Almost in front of my house (on the swimming-pool side of the street) I spotted this Acer tataricum : Acer negundo 'Flamingo' or the like are also very frequent here. They're grafted and very often, only a few branches show colour variegation. Mine was apparently not grafted, a small 20 cm tree I bought many years ago. It does have some branches reverting to green, but not so many. I spotted new shoots on a branch, nice pink colours. -AK-
A few of my dissectums enjoying the cooler wetter weather, on this last week of July. Orangeola Zaaling English Lace Flavescens x2 Brocade x2 Crimson Queen Goshiki shidare
Acer elegantulum : Acer 'Beni komachi' : Acer palmatum : Acer palmatum : Acer I called "Shirpal" : Top branches of Acer 'Sango kaku' in full sun. In the brown pot behind, Acer 'Arakawa', very green : Ginkgo biloba 'Saratoga'. Er, not a maple... ;°)
Moonrise has really become such a fun tree it really adds that beauty that makes the garden so lovely.
This tree is labelled Orion. I’ve seen many out here labelled the same but I feel like it’s not a true Orion similar to how Peaches and creams can have a couple different variations. It’s lovely and so unique. It gets sun on top so is one colour but the lower half is shaded giving it an entirely different look.
Crimson Queen - really love the two tone this ones presents. I’ve always seen crimson queen to be entirely red but this one just can’t stay that way. It does get full sun all day.
circinatum touched by the first rays of sunshine 'Geisha Gone Wild' survived the crushing blow of the fallen pine with only half dozen broken branches and some deep scrapes last year. How well will it hold up to 10 hours of full sun with the pine gone? So far, OK...
I finally got my hands on an Aconitifolium today! I've been trying to find one for ages, and nearly bought one at Hampton court garden show a few weeks back, but it was of course slightly overpriced although a really nice shape. Also last week I picked up a Beni Maiko to replace my Shin Deshojo. I had a Beni years ago as one of my first maples but it got ruined by the beast from the east. Also picked up another Jerre Schwartz to replace the sickly one I gave up on a couple of months back.
A. pentaphyllum, A. takesimense, A. buergerianum, and "Acer unidentifiedensis" =(|°; Got it in a mix from the seed exchange a few years go, I still wonder what species it is. Probably from Westonbirt. Serrulatum ?... Samaras on A. palmatum. It's in the ground and is about 4+ metres tall. From foot to head, it's the same. There must be thousands of seeds! :
After weeks of drought and heat, we've been having showers for the past few days. 26° this afternoon, and at about 20:00, battling rain for no more than 10-15 minutes, but the soil under the trees are wet. Mosquitoes are out too now : 3 bites in 5 minutes before the rain started !
This year, thanks mother nature, lots of bees and other pollinators. They swarm on my Vitex agnus-casus. I also saw more butterflies than last year (they must have heard that I do't use chemicals !) I spotted one on the leaves of my 'Trompenburg', it was really a great sight, but after I had gone to fetch my camera, it was on a branch of my Acer monspessulanum, 2 metres high. I zoomed :
Acer cappadocicum : Acer cappadocicum 'Rubrum' : The two are very similar in summer, the red stalks in spring are not so evident now. NB : Acer cappadocicum is one of the few Acers that can produce new shoots from the roots, there's two in the 'Rubrum' pot. Two more when I repot it next spring ?...
The heat hasn't really got going here in the UK yet. Very much like a normal British Summer.. Very much like 1977 after the severe drought and heat of 76. Anyway, I have leaves turning, as the days are getting shorter. So here are a few, after yet another night of rain. Beni shigitatsu sawa Uncle Ghost Twombly's red dentinal (recovering after a severe chop to all uprights in 2022 drought) Ruslyn in the pink x2 Sunset Chantilly Lace x2 Aconitifolium Aureum ( nearly lost in 2022)
If you are wanting some rain Derek come up north !!! Trees are loving it , me too :):) haven't watered for nearly two weeks now , the trees are looking well pretty.
Soil, exposure, etc. can definitely make a difference. My first one was in the shade last year and rapidly lost its colours. It's now in almost full sun and is almost entirely pink, with very few scorched leaves : The second (small one), in the shade, was pink in spring, and is now green, with only a few red leaves :
'(Peve) Starfish'. On the right: Acer discolor. 'Jerre Schwartz' : it turned yellowish too early, except for a new shoot. I must repot it next spring so the pH is lower, and add some chelated iron. On the left : Acer discolor. Acer that I called "Shirpal" : Two that look very similar from a distance. 1/ 'Shishigashira' : 2/ 'Koto hime' :
