Well, this is really my new maple. LOL

Well, I started with Laura's recommendation Tsuma Gaki and it wouldn't take the sun. I was very sad to leave it. Thanks to those who helped me find that out Todd and Gary.

So, I went back to Carlmont Nursery again - it's about half an hour from here and about 30 minutes south of San Francisco. I don't remember if I told you but they specialize in Japanese Maples and carry a lot of rare ones.

So here's David's (I believe) idea Germaine's Gyration. Nurserydude (Gary) called his grower who says that this tree will take sun even when it's really hot out. So it's moving in next week.

Thanks again for all of your help.

This message was edited May 24, 2006 8:49 PM

I'm sure glad you discovered the issue of the sun on Tsuma Gaki before purchasing it. I hope your GG does well in its new spot. It looks like you have a really lovely tree!

Laura

Thanks Laura, I appreciate your support. I'll post a photo when it's in the ground too. I'm taking out three large shrubs to put it in so that it will be a little bare until I figure out how to plant around it. But that's OK. I'm always up to another project.

thats a nice one alot bigger than mine ...so far mine has been a-ok in full sun but you guys are alot hotter than we are....most greens except really finely dissected ones do fine in full sun and GG is NOT a fine leafed cultivar I would bet as i have said all along it will do good and being a bigger tree will help ...I have found even with burning reds the older they get the less they seem to burn .....David

Yes, David, even some of my seedlings burn here - but mostly the ones in the wind. I don't think that we are probably hotter than you are but we are certainly dryer. Our weather is tempered by the coast so that it's pretty moderate here. And I'm so relieved to have discovered that the Koto no Ito needs more room. It's going to be one heck of a job moving three trees but it needs to be done. Let's hope that they all make it in January when I'll have it done.

Yah folks always say ..JM's have shallow root systems ...well compared to oak trees thats probably TRUE but overall with an older JM it is a job strickly for a professional tree mover perferably with a clam shell... anyone that says otherwise is dillusional especially in your area where they grow humongous...Koto is not a big tree and some consider it a dwarf but I'd assume yours is BIG as I think you posted a pic a while back.... It will most likelty be a "job especially if is like most of your other stuff and sorrounded by other stuff that you DON'T want to destroy!!! ...David

The Koto is about 8 feet tall right now - it's been in the ground 4 years. So much for 10 feet tall, huh? The Beni Fushigi (also dwarf of course) has only been in 1 year and the sango has been in 4 years too. There are some other plantings like daylilies or azaleas but they move very easily and can be picked up and put back. And like the rest of you I am really attached to the trees.

I'm sort of hoping that I can get the landscape company to take the Sango in trade for the transplanting. We'll see.

There's no way to get equipment in here. It will all have to be done by hand. I'm not looking forward to the price tag. I'll get a quote when the landscape company comes on Thursday. And I'll also get a quote from my tree guy.

Thanks again for all of the insight.

Doss

Is GG in the ground yet?

Laura

They come Thursday to put it in the ground. As I mentioned it will look sort of as if it's in the desert until I do some plantings around it. Wish that I had about three big rocks. But there are some stone lanterns over at the quarry that I might be able to get. At least they might still be there. I'll put the tree in and then think about it.

It's planted. Sorry about the little pot in the front and the tags. As you can see, it's going to involve total relandscaping in this small area around the maple. But that will be fun too. I may wait until fall as things are heating up here and I need time to think about what to do.

I think I'm going to enjoy it. If nothing else, the name makes me laugh!

oh, doss. It's beautiful!

Everyone here has been so helpful in picking it out, and i changed my mind a lot of time. So everyone has been patient too, unless they have been muttering under their breath, "Why doesn't this crazy woman just buy a tree already?!"

you don't have the luxery of alot of space NOW since youve basically planted your place to the square inch RIGHT??? so you have to be picky...I on the other hand am just syarting and since the folks that owned our place before us were into GOLF I have alot of open spece on my two acres even though over the past 12 years we have pput out hundreds of bushes trees watergardens etc ...now i am just placing jm's here and there and everwhere i have done plantings ...fitting them in hopefully the right types and sizes but feel certain... mistakes will be made ...I still have a bunch of grass which takesabout 3 hours to mow with my 24 hrs rider ...down from 5 hrs before all the plantings but alot of more manuvering around stuff has added some time... I am now planting mostly smaller rarer stuff ...not just anything I take a fancy to so i am slowly becoming a DOSS as far as persinityness (sp) which as you space runs out becomes necessary !!! David

Love putting Doss and persnicityness together. (sp - just thought that I'd try another way to spell it. Don't think that it's a word but it should be!)

1/2 acre with 24 feet setbacks on two sides and a swimming pool doesn't leave too much room for my rare plant-seeking self. 2 acres sounds a little overwhelming at this point though David!

oooooooooo so pretty. I want one! :-}

yah if I had the two acres of golf course now ( like I did when i moved in) I'd be a little less energetic...being a little older and MUCH lazier. But it has been fun ..having an orchard nuttery grapes blueberries rasberries blackberries currents quinces yatayyatayata...sometimes I go out and am amazed I had the energy to do this ...where it went I don't know but it aint what it use to be ;>000...now each task is a major undertaking...and I put stuff off at times for long periods of time!!! sometimes I feel like putting up ... "area under consideration" signs ;>))) ( read NOT construction!!!) David

"Area Under Not construction" is one way to put it. I like "Temporarily at Rest" a little better. I look at the big properties and wish that I could have the wide lawn paths with the beds curling around them, but then I'd have to mow! And I want every place to be lush with plantings so it would really wear me out to have so much room. But when you break it up like you just did it sounds more manageable. Wish I had that sort of energy too. I admire those that still do.

Fresh berries take a lot of room and are nothing to take for granted!

Doss,

That really is such a lovely tree, it will surely provide some nice shade for some hostas [heheheh]. Then again, something reddish/pinkish would also look nice! Do you think you will be able to wait until fall?

Laura

I'll be brainstorming for sure. I'll have to do a lot of research because of the shade issue. I don't want it like the perennial garden so we'll see what I can come up with. I won't be holding off for fall if I find something that really works for me.

Any ideas?

Hmmmmm...will think and post something.

Remember that eventually this tree will get 10-15 feet wide so it needs to be something very simple in the meantime. This is supposed to be a slow growing tree - but then so was the Koto no Ito.

How about ornamental grass "Hakonechloa"? in a small bunch or two, or a swash across the front? There is a golden variety 'Aureola' and white 'Albo-aurea' also. You could add some red low coleus for the red color for the summer, or maybe some sort of begonia or heuchera for red if you would prefer a perrenial to fill in underneath with color. From what I've seen in your pics, you have a good eye for color. My new landscape "plan" has some reds in the form of loropetalum 'Pizzaz', Canna 'Futurity', Coreopsis 'Limerock Ruby', Gallardia 'Burgundy', heuchera 'Pewter Veil', Sedum 'Dragon's Blood', veronica "Red Fox", and reddish 'Astilbe'. Maybe this list will inspire you!

Laura

Largosman has some great ideas ...I don't care for grasses much they seem to always take over some are just too big but smaller ones I guess are OK I do like the sedum and huecha coreops....and especially astillbe ideas ...these all come in MANY differnt colors ...I have mixed astillbees and hostas with some of mine they are a nice combo...david

Hakone grass is very uninvasive as far as I know. It also likes shade and has a cascading habit. It used to be hard to find, but seems to be getting easier now.

Laura

I use lots of reds, yellows and blues to set off my trees and other plantings. I used sedum (which I find does really well in part shade), heucheras (which I find make excellent underplatings), and creeping jenny and hostas, among other things.

I have been suprised how well astilbee do in part shade ... and also there are some really nice NEW varieties of dwarf spirea in golds red and yellow both flowers and leafs ..they do well around here and stay in little mounds and seem to compliment jm's well part shade ok but keep em away from total shade...David

Those are all great ideas - most need a good amount of shade and this area is FULL sun all day. I have a big bed of astilbe which I love - It's total darkness in there and I've used it as ground cover along with ferns, along with some of the yellow hakone grass. Hakone grass isn't invasive here, it's a buncher. It does need to be divided every few years though, especially if given enough water. And the variegated does work in full sun for me so that's a great thought. I love the ground hugging sedums like dragon's blood and that would absolutely work in full sun here.

Here is one of the new astilbes

Dragon's Blood is on my landscaping list. Would love to see a pic as I haven't found it around here yet.

Laura

Here it is. It grows fairly slowly. When the hot weather comes it can turn green. Some does and some doesn't. I don't know the reason. It's not flowering in this photo. For some reason I didn't get a photo then. I'll have to remember it next time. But here are enough photos to keep you busy. They also have links to a few companies that carry it.
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/50569/

Thanks, Doss. I suppose if I can't find it that I can substitute a similar color red sedum, then. I'll print this out and put it in my binder of photos I've been collecting to show me the colors.

Laura

Sounds good. It's usually pretty available. Will your nursery special order it for you?

Probably one of them will. I have a lot of choices for nurseries, and I may try another one tomorrow that I haven't been to before.

Laura

good luck! I like it a lot.

Doss...how hot does it get in your area? I'd love to plant a GG if it could withstand our many days of over 100 degrees July thru Sept. I do have 2 motts of trees that would provide a canopy for lacier leaved JMs, but would love to plant one in my front beds, which would get full sun.

nurserydude asked his supplier and he did say that GG did all right in full sun at 100 degrees but that was in Oregon I believe. The tag said full sun to part shade. You could dmail nurserydude. Sometimes it takes him a little while to get back to you. The other question would be whether or not the space was windy.

We almost never get 100 degrees although it gets close perhaps 2 weeks out of the year.

Thanks for the info...I'll stay tuned....