Just rolled another batch onto the old ordi, here starting from June 10: Shojo framing Cornus alternifolia 'Argentea' and C. kousa, the same 2 Cornus with a background of A. buergerianum A. rubescens 'Red Flamingo' with its attendant Feverfew (super useful Acer buddy, as it goes). A. sieboldianum 'Kinu gasa yama' and A. flabellatum. 'Kinu gasa yama' is a great cultivar, 3 season interest. A. x amplum 'Ample Surprise', summer colors. That's a young Acer 'Summergold' in the background, not really established yet. A. obtusifolium and A. macrophyllum. Both very slow growing in our garden, probably not enough moisture for the Big Leaf. I've planted another in what I hope is a better spot. This little dwarf is the sibling of the large upright variegate I posted earlier. As might be expected, it's a little bit stronger variegation. I like it as a garden plant, and it might be worth naming for its habit. But I'm sort of opposed to naming every random variegate that pops up (some feel differently), this type of seedling isn't super rare. A. shirasawanum 'Aureum'. So good. This one isn't very well established yet, hoping it will go.
A few more summer outfits.... Kinran: Shirasawanum Aureum Alpine Sunrise (AKA Alpine Surprise?) Matsugae, for me just the right contrast in tones in this variegate, defo not garish:
'Kinran' is a beautiful maple, it seems to have fallen out of style a bit. I have a nice seedling from it, very similar and maybe good enough to plant, but honestly not as good. Here are some more: A. mandshuricum, and in a group with A. x conspicuum 'Silver cardinal' and 'Elephant's Ear'. 'Silver Cardinal' A. rubrum 'Candy Ice', it only hits its stride in summer with the second growth. Hard to get a good picture of it, but spectacular in person. I tried to get some pictures of 'Utsu semi', but it's now quite large and surrounded by other "grown" trees, so often the light is complicated. That's 'Kinran' in foreground of the first pic. A. circinatum. The shadier side stays completely green. A. circinatum 'Pacific Purple'. Not the prettiest cultivar, to my taste.
And a few more. A. davidii ssp grosserii 'Leiden'. It has unindented single lobed leaves. This one is in the tall grass -- which is filled with ticks -- so I can only look from a distance unless I'm all kitted out! A. campestre 'Carnival', summer growth is very pink. You can probably spot burnt leaves, although it's only June and it's in shade... Another attempt to get 'Utsu semi', in a different light. That's A. shirasawanum 'Palmatifolium' on the left. A. rubescens 'Red Flamingo' and Feverfew again, this time with the new growth from which it takes its name. A. truncatum, Beijing seed. Summer growth.
Decided to head to my usual garden centre haunt on my morning off with the aim of finding an Aureum (they didn't have any) and a few other bits and pieces. Ended up with Rodgersia, a load of ferns and a Japanese Sunrise in my trolley, then realised I'd lost track of time and had to rush to pick up my daughter from nursery! I left the trolley out back to collect on Thursday. Picked my daughter up and headed to a much more local garden centre for the pots I need, then spotted this Extravaganza which I don't know an awful lot about. I've not seen one in a shop before and have only seen one or two places selling them online. Looks healthy and about your average price of £23, figured it would be rude not to! So my intention of buying an Aureum ended up with buying an Extravaganza and probably a Japanese Sunrise... And still needing an Aureum. Such are the perils of collecting Acers.
Ha ha ha... You're lucky you live in Britain, in other places, your daughter would sue you ! <LOL> But that was worth it... ;-)
Orion, or whatever we think it is. Any idea what’s happening to it. It is in shade, it’s windy in a grow bag and recently up potted in April. I know we are supposed to show off here but many of my trees are struggling in general including my veggie garden.
How was you Spring Lisa? We just had the driest Spring on record here in Southern England and everything is now suffering because of this. Ends of leaves going crispy etc. The drying winds also has quite a detrimental effect on maples. They should have protection, as they are understory trees, but most of us don't have too much of that sadly. Just ensure the roots are kept moist, but not over watered and you may get some nice second flush. I'm afraid the way the climate is changing, we might just have to put up with a few unsightly leaves each year. But remember, they do adapt better than we give them credit for. So on a positive note, let's keep our fingers crossed that all will be well and start considering planting some protection trees. I've planted betula Silver birch 'Snow Queen', to aid shade. It will take a few years for them to give the shade, but IMO it's worth doing.
Thanks our spring has been very confused mostly rain or cloudy with the odd day warm but we have been much more windy than usual. The veggie garden I planted in April is pathetic but the stuff I planted mid may is doing better. Apparently this Thursday or Friday we are to get up to 30c. It was 13 yesterday. So dramatic.
Totally agree Lisa, just no regular pattern anymore, our trees are confused. And 30 degrees, Ouch. More watering then!!!
So my two new babies arrived this evening, bone dry and looking quite sorry for themselves, but placed in a bucket of nice rainwater in the shade and they are picking up. 30 ° C here atm, so they need some help after a day or so in a hot cardboard box. I'm sure everyone knows what they are !!!
Awesome D. :-) Cardboard blight I call it when the leaves have dried in the box during delivery, it's a fairly new disease that seems to becoming more prevalent due to the popularity of the Internet, fortunately it's easily cured but may cause disappointment at times.
Amagi shigure and Sunset A few of Red Pygmy Sode no uchi looking a bit red on top this summer, Garnet to the right.
Hardly any variegation on my Shirazz this year..seems hit and miss year on year..it gets a lot of sun in that spot..odd looks a nice pink no complaints!
I've got a roughly 20 foot oak tree in my garden about halfway down which provides shade, but annoyingly it shades until about 1pm... Plan is to remove it and plant a silver birch in it's place. I was also thinking along the lines of a Snow Queen. Next door to us have a huge, fully mature native silver birch that is incredible. I feel a bit bad removing the oak as they're so slow to grow and support a lot of native species, but hopefully a replacement silver birch will do almost as well. I just need to let some of that morning sunlight through in a dappled way rather than completely blocking it out!
Hi Chris, couldn't some careful pruning of the oak do the trick. As you say it would be a shame to remove a mature tree.
The forecast is for thunder and lightning with the chance of localised flooding. So I thought I would take some photos in some early sunshine. A few dissectums today. Orangeola x2.................................................................................................Red dissectum Green dissectum......................................Dr Brown..................................Flavesecens Inaba shidare...........................................Red Feather.................................Zaaling Crimson Queen
'Snow Queen' is a synonym for the omnipresent 'Doorenbos'? (Betula utilis). That's what I was seeing when I looked it up just now. Not sure why it would need a new name. We have 'Doorenbos' and it is really a spectacular birch. Piet de Jong told me that most of the pure white utilis cultivars are really just Doorenbos, though I don't have any corroboration. Anyway whatever you call it, it's impossible to argue against as it is such a stunner. Still, I'd be more than hesitant to take out a mature native oak. Birches grow quickly, but they often take a few years to get their feet under them before getting going as they hate to be transplanted. And an oak is a big piece of garden capital, as it were.
Yes the other issue I've considered with removing it in favour of a Birch is that they are notoriously shallow rooted, so after a few years everything I've got now and plan to plant around it will struggle for moisture. The ground near it already needs improving because there is a large pyracantha 'tree' nearby and I removed an old conifer when we moved here which seems to have made the soil somewhat poor and dry. I may just keep the oak, I feel too guilty cutting it down! It's a shame it blocks all the morning light but the pyracantha blocks midday sun until 4pm, so everything in that area does at least get some nice direct sun 4-8, it's just a little intense for some things. I may try to thin it out in a few places this summer. Underneath it is an old trellis panel which is so old it's falling apart, and a lots of existing plants I'm not a fan of. Plan is to replace that and replace the posts there a bit further back, then plant some climbing roses or star jasmine - so that will let a little more light through but still offer some protection from cold easterly winds.
Well the heavy rain did not come yesterday, just 5 drops and I mean 5 Lol. So here are a few photos of 2 new maples in position, plus 1 replacement. Plus two others. Cascade Ruby....................................Cascade Gold.............................Goshiki shidare Trident................................................Moonrise