A bit early, I know... This morning : Acer "discolor" is not a valid name apparently. More pics just for the fun :
Here we saw the very first day with positive temperatures this year. Although this was just barely +0.2°C. 60 days with only negative temperatures in the row isn't so common even in my country. Hooray, the spring is coming! :)
Ha! we only hit 19C, but the sun was brilliant. Nicest day this year so far. Still, it's disconcerting to see so much leafing out this early in March. It feels like around 3 weeks ahead of the "new normal", in spite of the 3 weeks of cold in December/Jan. The immense amount of rain, 290 mm here, doesn't seem to have had much effect. The soil isn't saturated (except here and there, or where it's clay), and the stream is running normally. These pictures mostly start from around 20/2. Everything starting to move very quickly, it seems. Rhododendron mucronulatum, A. sinopurpurasens, A. japonicum, A. shenkanense, A. aff campbellii, A buergerianum ssp. formosanum, A. tartaricum ssp. ginalla 'Yama-zakura', A. opalus (by now in gorgeous full bloom), Acer Dissectum Group, Acer kawakamii x 2, A. serrulatum, A. buergerianum from Angyo weeping (some weep, this one maybe not), Acer palmatum, A. mandshuricum, A. aff. campbellii (bought as heptaphlebium, which it isn't), Acer rubescens, Linearilobum Group, A. amplum ssp. caudatifolium, A. buergerianum ssp. formosanum (a week or so after the first pic). Cheers, -E
Here are some fun palmatum seedlings, entering the 3rd year, leafing out in the polytunnel: And also a few species, Aa tschonskii, japonicum, negundo ssp. mexicanum, sinsense, sieboldianum.
We've had lots of sun and warm weather for a few days, 28° C yesterday, and tomorrow and the week to come, rain (good !), and a much cooler climate... After the prunus blossoms, the Wisteria displays its flowers. Very nice above the maples : And Ukigumo looks splendid between Sango kaku and a kind of dissectum atropurpureum :
I absolutely love seeing the flowers on Acer sinense. It's a complete affirmation of that "I grew a different species" moment, along with the "I didn't kill it!" moment, which is a big thing with this species. Fantastic! I took some pictures of low chlorophyll cultivars, including a brilliant Acer platanoides 'Prof Tadeusz Szczęsny' which is now being re-introduced after a long hiatus, when it was almost lost. This is my graft from last year, so first time I've really seen it. Seen here along with Acer buergerianum 'Hana-chiru-sato' and 'Wakō-nishiki' perhaps the same plant according to some anecdotal evidence. For an extra, Cornus controversa 'Candlelight', all summer long I look out my office window and think the sun is shining, but when I go to the front door, it's raining! -E
Here are some pics of JMs new either last or this year, so still in the polytunnel. As a result, none on the planting list for next year. Mikazuki, Goshiki-shidare, Sawa-chidori, Chiyo-hime, Berrima Bridge, Murasaki-Shikibu, Tattoo, Dr. Brown, Amagi-shigure, Marielle, Beni-uki-gumo, Green Snowflake, Ima-kumano, Acer circinatum 'Monroe', Sazanami. In spite of it having been found wild, many authorities are now questioning whether 'Monroe' is not a hybrid. Murasaki-shikibu had some dieback from over-heating. Seems to be recovering, but I hope it won't prove too tetchy. I incorrectly hyphenated Sazanami in the photo, but it's a lovely name, meaning "ripples on waves." I'm also really looking forward to enjoying Sawa-chidori (marsh plover), another evocative name with a subtle coloring and reticulation. And of course, Marielle, named for my friend Mariëlle by her husband Bart!
