Japanese maples

After years of living in a small house (less than 600 sq ft) I have a rule: no collections. Now that I have loads more space, this rule is slipping, but I hope to keep it in check. One thing I have started collecting is Japanese maples. They really like our bright, shady patio.

The collection started with this beautiful Waterfall maple James brought home years ago. It lived in a pot on our front porch for several years. The dogs kept running into it, breaking off limbs. Finally, it found a permanent home on the wall of our back patio where it has thrived. In the fall of 2009 it had glorious color.

 This summer I was diligent with my watering until October, when I let the poor thing get too dry. The leaves shrivelled up and eventually fell off. This is what it looks like now.

Pretty sad, isn't it? If I do get any fall color this year, it will be very sparse.

In this corner of my patio is two more Japanese maples. The tall one is Butterfly with gorgeous variegated leaves of white and green. My business partner Sharon talked me into this one. She purchased one last year and it did wonderfully for her, even in a location that received afternoon sun. So I got one this spring and have been very impressed with its hardiness. The leaves burned on the edges during this awful summer, but it held all its leaves. I look forward to seeing it if will have fall color.

In front of the Butterfly maple is a dwarf Japanese maple named Sikes' Pygmy. It had a lovely, perfectly round shape when I purchased it. Our cows got out one day and decided to nibble on it. They pulled off one large branch on one side, then spit it out. The dwarf tree is now lopsided so I push it up against the wall to disguise the gap.

Next I will get a red-leaved Japanese maple, maybe a cascading, threadleaf variety.