Why I Oughta...

My Hakonechloa Macra Forest Grass crush keeps growing.  It started with the All Golds that I bought at one of the Morton sales, but has morphed towards something else:  the 'straight' green versions that I find up at Northwind Perennial Farm in Wisconsin.  I planted three of them in a border last year and they've quickly outperformed the All Golds that are planted close-by .   One of the things that I observed in our backyard garden this Spring was the need to help 'hide' the dying foliage of the tulip bulbs that I have planted under the large tree-swing Oak tree.  I have some hostas and ferns in there, but they don't move fast-enough to help.  And, based on watching these Japanese Forest Grasses, I've discovered (this Spring) that the straight Green ones emerge must earlier than the All Golds.   So, on a trip up to Northwind, I put four of these in my wagon.   They look really great in the sun - see below: This area is what I'd call 'part shade'

Last month, I planted a small (1.5 gallon) unknown variety Japanese Maple tree from the orange big box store that I couldn't pass up .  I still don't know that variety of the tree, but that doesn't mean I can't keep trying to 'get to know' it a bit in an attempt to figure out what variety it *is* in actuality. Back in this post , I toy'd around with what it could be - ranging from English Lace to Garnet.  And that was based on the idea that it was 'upright' in habit.   But, is it upright?  I don't know.  I *do* know that the way to keep tabs on this is to document the leader and how it grows.    That requires a series of posts, but this one will serve as the kick-off.  Has this put on new growth since I planted it?  I'm not TOTALLY CERTAIN, but I'm pretty sure that this trio of stems that is lighter colored - at the very top - are all new (since being planted).  See below for the current state of the apical meristem on this red, unknown l

This is the third and final Japanese Maple that I'm planting in our backyard that I bought online and had shipped from Mr. Maple.  This is another Acer palmatum, but it is different - and unique.  It is green, upright and has desiccated foliage.  Love all of those characteristics - and it appears that it is the *only* Japanese Maple that checks all three of those boxes .  The listing from Mr. Maple tells the full story : ‘Seiryu’ is a fantastic upright green dissectum Japanese maple. This Japanese maple tree is very unusual because it has amazing dissectum leaves yet it is a vigorous upright grower. In the early spring it leafs out with a lush bright green. The fall color of 'Seiryu' encompasses shades of light to deep scarlet red. This Japanese maple tree is a very vigorous grower and can grow up to 12-14 inches a year once it is established. The height of Seiryu can reach up to 20-22 ft over time. ‘Seiryu’ is unmatched in the acer world as a brilliant upright laceleaf. Se

That right there is the question that I'm trying to find an answer to:  Can a Coral Bark Japanese Maple survive Winter in USDA Growing Zone 5.  And, for me...specifically Zone 5b.   Why am I even wondering that?  Because...of what I saw at the orange big box store recently.  A small, unknown Coral Bark variety Japanese Maple tree in a five gallon container for under $50.  With the 11% rebate that we get in our area, that gets this tree under $45.  See below for the label: History has told me that Home Depot will - on occassion - sell something that isn't fit for our Zone 5B weather.   But, Coral Bark Japanese Maples are a bit of a quandary.  Why?  Because the 'named' Coral Bark maples that have historically been sold at Home Depot are called Sango Kaku Japanese Maples.   I see them every year.  This is what their labels look like below:  with a tree named Sango Kaku". Why do I bring up Sango Kaku?  Because....depending on your source, you'll see different infor

Yesterday, I posted some photos and details of the first of three Japanese Maples that I bought from Mr. Maple - Acer palmatum 'Firefly' .    This post is about the second of three Japanese Maples from Mr. Maple - another Acer palmatum.  This one is part of the 'ghost series' - First Ghost.  This JM is larger than the Firefly tree - although both are in one-gallon containers.   Below are a few photos showing the First Ghost Japanese Maple one-gallon trees: Mr. Maple's description of First Ghost includes these details : 'First Ghost' is the first and one of the best of the Ghost series of Japanese maples. 'First Ghost' leafs out in the early spring with bright white to cream sharply divided leaves which are accented by deep green veining to the leaf on the inside while the outside of the leaf is edged in a red purple. Mid-summer this reticulated variegation on 'First Ghost' may fade to a dark green veining on a lighter green background. For be

A few days ago, I posted some photos showing off three Japanese Maples that I bought from Mr. Maple and they shipped out .  All three are small one-gallon trees and arrived in good shape.  The first one of these three trees that I planted is Acer palmatum 'Firefly'.  Below are some photos showing off the foliage of Firefly and you can quickly tell that this tree is a beauty.  Of note, the rootball wasn't totally filled out in the small one-gallon nursery container, so when I took it out, the soil and roots sort of 'fell part'.  I quickly packed it back together and stuck it in a five-dollar hole. Here's what Mr. Maple has to say about Firefly Japanese Maple : 'Firefly' is a Japanese maple with superb reticulated variegation. The deep lime green veining, along with a brighter fiery red spring color distinguish this variegated selection by Paul Holden of Harstein Island Nursery. The habit is fairly upright , with less spreading than other ghost type varieg

A couple of days ago, I posted about how I planted an unknown Japanese Maple that I bought from the orange big box store .  I know, I know.  But...it was just something I did.  That is the fourth Japanese Maple in our backyard, but it also was the 'gateway' to even more.  My research into what that tree could be turned into a lost few days digging around the Web.  In terms of numbers....This Spring (2023), I've now planted three Japanese Maple trees - a small Emperor 1 , that unknown red laceleaf upright and this small, low-grafted Waterfall Japanese Maple .   Doing the research about those three Japanese Maples on the Web lead me to a new (to me) place:  Mr. Maple.  Their site is MrMaple.com  where they sell a huge variety of Japanese Maples in 1-gallon nursery containers.   The guys at Mr. Maple make it easy to sort by growing zone (I'm 5b), sun-exposure, species (Acer palmatum, Acer japonicum and Acer shirasawanum, etc) and habit (upright vs. weeping vs. columnar vs