The weather is cloudy and cold today here in Southern England, but that's ok. Looking ahead, if we can have this cloud for the next two nights, then it will keep the dreaded spring frosts away for 2024. So today some cloudy scene photos of a few more of mine that have leafed out. Purple Ghost x2 (in a pot this year ) Edgewood Golden x 2 Mystic Jewel x2 (just getting started today, it's in a darker position compared to others) Okushimo or Crispa x2 Sazanami x2 Black Lace x 2 Seiryu x2 Metamorphosa x2 English Lace x 2 (ready for St George's day) Kotohime x2
We did have a light frost, -0.4C, at least out where the measurement is. It may not have frosted in the Aceretum, which is a bit more sheltered. I couldn't see any signs of frost damage this morning, although the wind and hail have been a little difficult for a few maples. The next few days will tell, it's still very cold, but meant to get to 3C tomorrow morning. Here are a few from yesterday, as leaves come out more fully, some of the garden "windows" are beginning to open, allowing other than macro photography. Taylor still alive. It lost a lot of the understock in a bacterial infection. That is healing now. Between Shisigashira and Vitifolium, a window to a cloud of Cornus florida. The planting of red dissectums around Deshojo and Nokoribo is finished, now we wait. Trompenburg, Emmett's Pumpkin, A. pictum ssp mono An orangy selection, Yasemin, Nicholsonii, Shin Chisio This x shirasawanum doesn't do well, too much sun for now, so it needs to hang in there for a few years. Nicholsonii, Shin Chisio Usugumo, Palmatifolium Utsu-semi and Palmatifolium making a window and imitating the Sistine Chapel Nice framing of Fior d'Arancio A very pretty seedlings, stays a great yellow, but certainly not different enough to merit a name. A place in the garden for sure, though! Young plantings around Deshojo, with the other Deshojo visible through the trees. The Azaleas in the gap are about the flower for the first time. Nice Jordan framed by Aconitifolium (not in pic), Ariadne, Usugumo, Brilliantissimum. And some closeups. An A. palmatum, down in the valley by the stream, that some idiot cutting wood dropped a tree on. It broke, leans, but survived. Now some years later, starting to look quite nice again. A very shady spot, and cold and wet.
Tonight is the last of the cold according to BBC weather app. So I have all fingers crossed. Today I thought some more of my pots. Haven't posted these ones yet this year. They have been undercover all Spring, so a little paler. Hessei x2 Kinran x 2 Tiger Rose x 2 Red Dawn x 2 (leaves just turning to red, plus lots of flowers) Hippy fin mo x 2 Radiant x 2
Well that deep plum color starts with the stems and slowly works its way to the tips. examples from a couple years ago
I am so jealous of all of you who get flowers on Japanese maples… I have not seen any for about six years that I have been growing them. I hope someday…
Some red ones this morning: a seedling with dark red-brown large leaves (15 cm across), Shindeshojo (2x), and a dissectum seedling.
And not a maple, but a great companion plant for maples, Fothergilla (same soil preferences). Just like the maples, it has a great fall color (last 2 pictures). I highly recommend it.
It looks like I've just escaped the spring frosts, it went down to 1°c last night and a couple of new shoots got hit on a few of my maples but nothing like years gone by. So a few more to add to the thread today. More muted colours on many this year, not too much sun around to bring out the colours. Felice x 2 Chitoseyama x2 Beni otake x 2 Hagoromo x 2 Dissectum Nigrum x 2 (small atm) Mila x 2 ( not bright or vivid this year) Mirte x 2 Emerald Lace x 2 Miss Piggy x 2 Kandy Kitchen x 2
Chitoseyama x2 plus other random morning snaps before the rain sets in for the entire weekend! Looks like I got away with the frost over the last few days..the only trace I can see is minimal on a finely leafed green Filigree
Even the local native maples are beginning to leaf out. Acer rubrum sapling with its leaves pictured today, 3 weeks after its flowers.
Busy day yesterday with grandchildren, so no photos, but today after a night of rain some more from my garden. Beni maiko x2 Atropurpureum x2 (gets too overlooked IMO) Lionheart x 2 Tamuke yama x 2 Pink filigree x2 Matsu kaze x2 Manyo no sato
Some more coming out. Beginning with Cornus controversa 'Candlelight', OK not a maple but at least the leaves are opposite! Hydrangea petiolaris behind it, a dark corner. The first pic is a seedling form Villa Taranto with extremely fine leaves, destined for my sister's garden. Another view from the kitchen door, more east, with Hikasa yama, Esk Sunset, A. shirasawanu, C. florida and Chitose yama and A. buergerianum in bg A future grouping, of Holata, A. distylum and a good spreading seedling. From l to r, Honeydew (barely out, so not very visible), Sango kaku, Carnical, A. sieboldianum. The Cornus and Hydrangea from the first pic are in bg. This is a sport from Carnival, which it does sometimes instead of just reverting (which it does more often). It looks exactly like Magic Spring, and like that cultivar will probably also revert. Cute for this season, though.
Young Acer griseum (seed-grown) planted in the ground if leafing out. I have noticed that very young seedlings wake up 2-3 weeks earlier in spring, compared to older plants (pictured here) or mature trees. Probably has something to do with soil temperature and depth of the root system. Just a guess.
