I pruned hard the tangled mess of wisteria and honeysuckle, and found a nest. I thought it was abandoned, but I came back later and saw the yellow beak of a blackbird. OK, they ruin my growing beds, but I hope I haven't made it abandon the nest :
I don’t mean to put a downer on the amazing Spring posts and photos that you guys are posting but who would guess this well settled, leaf perfect 1.2m Jordan (May 2020 photo) would have snuffed it over Winter.. it looked grumpy during all of 2021, suddenly dropped its leaves during Autumn and I found it just now dead as a door nail!! It was in a nice sheltered spot so I don’t think it was got by frost..I will inspect it properly in the coming days to see if it looks like vine weevils have been at it. C'est la vie!
Hi R I'm so sorry to hear this, I remember you posting it last year and it was a beautiful tree. Tbh I'm not sure what is happening, vine weevil etc, but a few more members are reporting losses over the Winter months. I myself looks as though my Milligan has also given up the ghost so to speak. It was really healthy and then the new leaves just melted last week. Might have been the sudden drop in temperature, -6°c. But I will investigate after a period of time allowing for a possible recovery in a resting place. So don't worry about putting a downer on this thread, it is important to show everyone that even we avid enthusiasts suffer losses.
Thanks Derek - My lesson is I should have investigated last year when it was looking ropey rather than the previous vigour. If it was vine weevil I might have been able to save it..but hey!!
Special post dedicated to spring with A. sinopurpurascens. I really love the flowers on this maple, I feel like they are better than A. diabolicum, though similar. The tree is somehow less leggy and more lush. The one flowering is grafted but I think has managed to establish some roots from above the graft as it's gradually sunk down. (It was a low graft). The rootstock is pseudoplatanus and as usual it is swollen out above the graft union, since it's "barely compatible". I've since managed to get hold of two seedlings, pictured -- thanks to great maple friends on this forum and elsewhere! -- and planted in proximity. With any luck at all I'll get a female and some viable seeds... The last picture was just planted in the past autumn, it arrived from Sweden as a tiny stick in 2018, and has been growing like crazy ever since.
Another lovely start to the day here in Southern England. I was sat in my gardena few minutes ago pondering the talk on micro climates and thought 'why' did I choose to live here and grow maples and in clay soil. But then I looked up at my trees and all was well. So here are a few basking in the sunshine. Uncle Ghost............Sister Ghost Green Trompenburg..........Ariadne Iijima sunago..........Hessei Ornatum..........Pink filigree lace Goshiki shidare...........Baldsmith
That's a nice surprise N. Haven't heard of this one. Have heard of oliverianum and Oliver. Is it a typo ?
OK I've done that often. Lol. I have Olivia also. It's a more vigorous than Ukigumo and has deeper shading of the leaves. I'm sure your going to love it N.
Don't you just love these bright Spring mornings, makes you want to get up and start the day. Some more of my maples are coming along now and my little Baby Ghost and I mean little is also making an appearance. Beni tsukasa..........Wakehurst pink Crimson Queen..........Baby Ghost Koyasan............Coral pink Seiryu............Aoyagi
Here is the Nursery neglected “burn pile” Tsuma Gaki in 2019 with dead branches and hardly any buds, may 2020 and 2 pics today..
Hopefully you heard the round of applause from here in Hampshire R ? I do love stories like this. Well done You.
Thanks Derek - you take your chances!! The leaves are only just unfurling so hopefully it’ll look better in the coming weeks..
So far... ^^ I lost the first one. I think it resents hot, dry weather. I keep the second one in almost full shade. It's an "amoenum", they grow in higher, colder parts of Japan in their natural habitat I think.
Spring has finally come and all the leaves have their nice spring colors! * Sango Kaku * Oridono Nishiki (no very much variegated) * Bloodgod * Ukigumo * Seiryu * Sango Kaku * Bi Hoo * Beni Maiko * Osakazuki * Ukigomo * Dissectum * Butterfly (on the back, no in full in the photo) * Ukigumo * Acer palmatum. This one used to be a Butterfly that totally died because of the sun, and the rootstock took over. I kept it regardless * Taylor
