Japanese Maples - Up "north"?

I mentioned in another thread that I'd like to have some Japanese Maples in my yard. Do any of you have suggestions for one that would be hardy in z4b-5a?

Pics are welcome...Please! :-D

~julie~

Oh, Man, you are sending me out with the camera tonite!! Maybe we'll find more varieties we can all grow!! Legit

I would LOVE to have a Japanese maple. I've seen some really pretty ones around here, so I know there must be several that do well here. Of course, I'm in zone 5b.

Legit....I'm not sending you out exactly...just telling you I WANT to see what you got! hehe

Kylee...that's what I mean by 'zone envy'. I'd LOVE to go shopping and come home with BIG pots filled with J.M.s. I have SO many places in my yard that would really be set off with those as a background.

I don't think DH is ready for me to find out what will *really* grow here. I can promise you, it's going to cost him BIG time! LOL

~julie~

Yeah, because they're expensive, too! But so gorgeous and elegant.

Boy, don't I know that. But I'd rather spend the money for something I'll get to see before I die. :-)

~julie~

Julie,

We planted a JM three years ago, and it is doing well. I actually bought it a year-end sale a KMart for $12. Unfortunately, I don't remember the variety and don't have a photo, but will try to get both for you.

Jody

Oh man, would I love a few JM's in my garden and if I could find them for $12, I would definitely give them a try! I've been debating whether to try one, maybe in a microclimate in my yard, but so far have been put off by the high price tags.

I know a lady nearby that grows the atropurpurea, but what I'd really like to grow is the dissectum varieties with the really fine-cut leaf. I've been told that a shady area is better and that geotextile wrap would probably bring them through because it's the winter sun that is the culprit rather than the cold(?)

Jody...next time you see a buy like that...please let me know! I'm gasping here. (If you can find pics, I'd love to see them)

Sanannie...I've heard the same thing (sunlight vs cold) about several other I thought I *couldn't* grow here, too. I might just figure on playing the gambler's game next spring, bite the bullet and buy a couple.

~julie~

OK I will try a couple tonite, but I've got to get to bed or I'll turn into a pumpkin! These all came from Mellinger's several years ago, and they were very tiny, which Mellinger's is famous for, but on the upside, they only cost around 20.00 each. The only one that still has it's tag is Bloodgood, I have info on the others SOMEWHERE! I am zone 4b, and they are all on the North and Northwest side of the house for the above mentioned reason. Here's one Legit

Concluded to be: Mellinger's Red Japanese Maple

This message was edited Oct 26, 2005 7:16 AM

Uh....Legit...did you say you were on your way to bed? Exactly *how* far away are you from Muscoda? (I'm getting into my ninja suit and grabbing my shovel...sleep tight, now. ~evil grin here~)

~julie~

"Caught ya!" Can you climb a fence? 6 foot chain link, with gate, gets closed every night.............you'll see it sooner or later in the pics, hard to hide, but I love it for deer!! (And would-be plant rustlers!!) LOL Legit

Now I am truly going to go to bed or DH will think I've found an online boyfriend for sure!!!!

I sure will, Julie.

I actually bought three; one was $12 the other two $7/each. One of the $7 died - bought it for my sister and she never came to get it. The other is trying desperately to survive the constant weed whipping my son keeps giving it (he has been banned from that area of the garden!)

Girls, ROCKS, that is always the answer I give when asked advice on how to keep the hubby/son away from special plants! MEN WITH LAWN MOWERS RESPECT ROCKS MORE THAN ANYTHING!!!!! LOL Put a ring of rocks around your plants and you will have no fear!!

Now get this though, Saturday I was out of town with a conference for work, and DH had the septic pumped, well.......he let the guy drag his big hose right through one of my hosta beds, and from the marks, he's not too far from one of my JM, he has luckily narrowly escaped a beating!!!!!!

This one, and I don't know her name right now. Legit

Sorry, after all that wait, it's the Bloodgood again, I will try again!!

This message was edited Oct 26, 2005 6:51 AM

Let's try this one!

Here's what I bought from Mellingers:

Red Japanese Maple: 5.50
Dwarf Japanese Maple: 4.50
Bloodgood Maple: 19.50 Him we know
Green Cutleaf Maple: 19.50 Will post later
Red Cutleaf Maple: 19.50 Think I lost this one right away
Butterfly Maple: 19.50 I think I lost this one too, because a google search says it's var. and I don't have any of those. If anyone knows or a var. one that will survive here, I'd like to hear about it.

So, looks like Mellingers is not big on names, I'd have to say the one in the cage. (I have a rabbit problem) must be Red Japanese Maple, and the one with the ribbon grass behind must be "Dwarf Japanese Maple" Big Help!

Legit

This message was edited Oct 26, 2005 7:15 AM

Men respect rocks. I am ROFLMBO, because a truer statement was never made. I put in a rock border around one of my beds, and though the rocks are embedded into the ground, my DH must tell me three times a day that one of those rocks is going to get hit by the mower...

Here's the Green Cutleaf

Legit,

Your JM are gorgeous,,,,,,,ohhhh, I want 1 or 5 roflol

We like raised beds and use field rocks to outline the beds,,,,,OC can go right at er with the weed wacker and not hurt any of my beds,,,,love it,,,

now,, if I could only get him to stay away from things that are planted in the ground ie, small trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses,,,,garden life would b good. Will have 2 get some rocks around everything I guess

He took out my new gorgeous 3 color Hydrangea last year with the mower 'cause he didn't like where I put it,,Well, I can't tell u exactly what the word exchange was but being the intelligent people u r, I'm sure u can figure it out LOL,,good news though,,,it came back this spring, I dug it up, potted it and it's doing well,,,will take a few years 2 get 2 the size it was and it was small. LOL He was lucky that time,,,,things like that are cause for divorce,,,,and we're not even married LOL

Kelly

Legit...I think I'm going to save the links to your photos and copy them into my note file. Next year when the really good greenhouse outside Richland Center (Indian Hollow) opens up with new stock, I'm going to try to be the first one in there. They sell the Monrovia plants and, even though they're expensive, I'm willing to pay the price if I have to.

Thank you for ALL the time you've taken to get us pics of the JMs in your yard. They are FABULOUS!!! And I'm SO jealous. LOL

~julie~

LOL @ GG.

Yeah, I think there would have been words-a-flyin' here, too!

GG I said those same words when that late frost took my brand new (but nice sized) Nikko Blue out. But mine managed to survive, put on some new branches and looks like (if I mulch it good this winter) it just might make it. They seem to be able to take a *little* abuse. ;-)

~julie~

I planted an aster in our memory garden and DH thought is was a weed. Three years in a row he took it out with the weed whip! This year (after repeated reminders to him of its location) it bloomed for the first time - he loves it and wants to get more.

Jody

AAAAHHHH Yes, the plants that "look" like weeds,,,,,,,,,,,Bill though my Poppies were weeds,,,kept weed wacking them,,,I couldn't figure out why they were always bitten off and blamed it on critters,,,,Until I was in the yard where he was weed wacking,,,almost had a heart attack,,,,Had to go over and make him shut the whacker off,,,as soon as he shut it off he asked me why I wouldn't take care of those stupid weeds,,,he was tired of having to whack them,,,,,,tried to Calmly explain THEY ARE NOT WEEDS FOOL,,,they r Poppies,,,quit whacking them,,,I was blaming it on the critters,,,,,no wonder they wouldn't do their thing,,,,AAAHHHH,,,,the joys of gardening ,,,,,,,,LOL

Kelly

LOL & LOL...I *know* that weed whacking artist too! (But then I also know ME...who pulls the baby glads out because they look like GRASS!) hehehe

~julie~

LOL,,,,well, I would have to admit that I have maybe made ONE mistake like that,,,,LOL,,,,,Now understand,,,I'll ONLY Admit to one. wwhahahahahaha

Only one, Kelly? (Are you married? LOL)

~julie~

LOL,,,,,,,Nope, not married,,,together for 12 years living together for 11 and engaged for 9

I may have made more however I will only admit to one,,,LOL,,,that's the one I make at the time that I'll admit to,,LOL

Kelly

Oh...ok. :-)
And I know about those "one" at time "admitted" to, too. LOL

~julie~

You guys been to the "regular" JM forum? Todd Boland has some lovelies he says might make it here, I think I'll invite him over here to see if he can ID some of my "generic" Mellinger's JM. Legit

Legit...I wouldn't even have gone into the JM forum because of everything I'd read about them not being hardy in our area. (Actually, I didn't even know we *had* a JM forum. :-O) :-D

Definitely make the invite!

~julie~

Julie, Todd replied on the JM forum, you might want to watch it, they do have a few for "us!" Yeah, I know, they sneak those new ones in on us, don't they?? I ususally bump into them, or a refernce of them by accident, because I never use the "forum" tab. Legit

Am jumping in on this one. On GW there is a Glen who lives in Winnipeg (2b) and he has Japanese maples in his yard. Go over to GW to see how he looks after it for the winter. Much wrapping with bulrlap etc. I think.

I've taken cuttings twice from one my DD has in her front yard in BC. Slips have never taken.

Inanda

Thanks, Inanda, Nice to meet you! I'll check it out later today, gotta get on with the morning right now!! Legit

GW???

jasmerr,

GW = Garden Web

Kelly

Any possibility of getting a couple of links for those particular posts? LOL You have to understand what kind of misc addict I am. If I go to a place like the JM forum or another site to find info, I get lost amid all that's going on there and may no return "home" for days, weeks.....years!!! Please help a "holic" stay on the bandwagon. :-D

~julie~

Julie, you won't stay there, I vistit, but I come home! Legit

Thanks, Kelly. I had seen "GW" before, but my mind just wouldn't place the full name! LOL

Jody

Legit! You *aren't* supposed to be an 'enabler' here!! LOL
~julie~