Thanks. I went through your pictures many times trying to study your very successful colour patterns. I must add Sister Ghost and Beni Fushigi to next spring's hit list. It is too bad that big 'Itaya' may potentially be lost. We have strange weather here too but opposite to yours. Your Wollemia nobili is indeed a rare treasure. (It appears that this was just started to be distributed from Australia after 2006, and the hardiness is not yet fully established with some report of surviving to -12C.)
Sister Ghost is a one I like a lot, I try and keep it in the deep shade since it keeps the deep white and green color. Beni Fushigi is a bit of an unstable tree with loads of reversion and probably death. The one is my yard is a mess of reversion but since the tree is so large it is hard to see. The Wollemia are a new addition. I have a total of three of them, I have one which is about 8' to 9' tall and two which are both over 10' tall. The small one is planted and the other two are in containers. The trees are some of the original trees which came into the USA by National Geographic so they are from the mid 1990's. They have been growing at a nusery in Oregon and have spent winters outside. There have been no comments about death of them in that climate but they can suffer damage to the foliage. The damage is not much. My guess is heavy snow will d damage but I have not heard yet of this being an issue. There are three of them in the Miller Garden in Seattle. They have been there for a few years basically unprotected and they have dne fine. I like the looks of the tree but they do not fit many gardens since they are different than what is in the neighbors garden.
Here are some of the colors in the first part of August 2011. I really like my new Fairy hair. The Ap 'Bihou' has a nice vivid yellow color. The 20' tall Cryptomeria japonica is one of my original trees from Forst Farm. I bought in 1990 for a whole $3.50 and it was about 14" tall. The large purple japanese maple was bought for less than a buck about the same time. I love the blue color of the picea 'Coors'
Your 'Fairy hair' has a very nice leaf/stem balanced shape that really shows its elegance; I have not seen a mature specimen like this before. I was hoping to get a 'Bihou' last spring for its stem colour contrast with a red stem maple in winter, but it was all sold out around here. That red leaf maple in the second picture, from a distance, looks a little like my 'Kasagi yama' in spring (which I really like). Is it anything close to that or just another 'Bloodgood'-liked variety?
In photo 2 on the left Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Gold Rush' 12' tall, Ap 'Mikawa yatsubusa' 5' tall, Ap 'Fairy Hair' 9' tall, Ap 'Brocade' 30" tall, Abies koreana 'Silberlocke' 6' tall, Pinus desiflora 'Golden Glow', Ap 'Purple Ghost' 10' tall 12' wide (what you thought might be a 'kasagi yama') and in the backgrounds is a Zelkova serrata 15' tall. Fairy Hair is a great tree in a middle size and in large size it is special. Vertually everyone has to stop and look at it. 'Bihou' is a nice tree but it does get special in the winter with its BRIGHT yellow trunks. it is a slow growing tree so it is best to find as big of tree as you can. Shape may not be as important since it is more of a twiggy looking plant similar to the yellow bark dogwoods.
Beautiful trees!! I noticed that you have a lot of trees in containers while some of them are planted on the ground. How do you decide what you want to plant in the ground vs keep in containers? xman
Thanks, First, most of my trees are considered inventory so they stay in containers. From there I have several different thoughts to where the trees go. I have started planting most of the special trees I get, these are the trees which are about the largest anyone can find of a given cultivar, like a 17' tall Beni Fushigi or a 14' tall Kamagata or a 9' tall Fair Hair. From there I plant them to represent a good mix of all of the types of maples. There are many trees in this range which I would like to plant but leave them available for other people. Sometimes this is a mistake since I may find myself without a tree i really liked, Aj Fairy lights is one I let one too many go. Then some of my triplicates get planted just because of lack of space for a tree in a pot.
Here are more colors of the garden. In photo three is the mess after comparing the colors and shapes of different trees and putting together a group of trees for someones design. In photo 2 the pink tree is a Geisha which has been in full shade all year. The green tree on the left is Ki hachijo, the red is Twombly's Red Sentiel, and just the tip of a Shiro on the right. I took a shot today of an Azuma murasaki, Bihoo hou hou, and Tsukushigata
Beautiful compositions. What is the pinky cream colour maple in the second picture; seem unusual to see such a maple colour in summer?
Oh yes,I was gonna ask you the same thing.Having lost my 'Taylor' this spring I'd like another pink leaf.
here are a few new views of my yard Sam here is the list of trees. Bottom left, Ap 'Chantilly Lace', above it is Ap 'Omura yama', above it is Ap 'Amber Ghost', the bright red to the right of amber ghost is Ap 'Fireglow' and above them all is a 'Red Emperor. Bottom right, Ap 'Tamuke yama' (a little green due to being in shade), next is Ap 'Shishio hime' the green dissectum on the standard is Ap 'Waterfall' behind the Waterfall is a Ap 'First Ghost' then a Meta 'Gold Rush' and the center red is Ap 'Oshio beni' to the right of it is a beat up Aj 'Aconitifolium' , right of it is 'Satsuki Beni' then the white/pink color of 'Shin Deshojo' and last is a large 'Fireglow'. Note, the 'Red Emperor' is in a box and is over 17' tall.
I Love your trees, what type is the middle green one on a standard and there is another green one to the right of it as well from this picture.
Sam is right, very beautiful Maples, you have a paradise there amazing. Just one thing:That fourth pic, the maple on the background: Tsuskushagata??? I cant find any information about it???
it was a typo, it is Tsukushigata. Here are some photos of the tree. The classic story of the tree is I bought it as an 'Iijima sunago'. I was happy with the mistake.
I did a little walk through part of my garden and recorded it on my camera. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOeUXz_cKlM
Very nice tour of your beautiful collection and garden. (My little Mikazuki does not seem to have that much creamy colour tone; it is much more greenish this time of the year, probably because of the difference in weather condition and level of shading.)
I have posted on youtube other parts of the yard. I have not yet filmed the portion where I keep the majority of my maples. I am still trying to figure out how it should be done. I would like to improve on several aspects of these first videos. I also need to fix a few spots in the garden.
I had a moment of sunny weather and did a quick walk through some of the trees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWAbDc1cixA&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
