Looking ahead...

...to some of the images in my 2011 botanical calendar from the fine folks at Night Owl Paper Goods.

You can read more about this eco-friendly, sustainably-harvested wooden time-piece in my Hedge Society post.  And there's a coupon for a discount, too!

Winter's early arrival

Too soon, too cold. Sigh. Sigh again. (It's therapeutic.)

The grey, chilly frozen days are here ...

Recommended reading & viewing on some topics (other than the weather) in this post:

• Bark
• Berries (& birds)
  &
• Sighs

Wordless Wednesday: Autumn Leaves

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Recommended reading:
The Science of Autumn Color

Sundays on the seawall

Though it can be hard (especially last week when plants, pots, & plans exceeded available space), I try to remind myself of the advantages of a  very small  balcony garden. Here's one: it allows time for long, meandering walks because you don't have to rake leaves.

And here are some moments from the the past three Sunday seawall walks when I looked, wondered and enjoyed.

This arrangement made me wonder: did nature create it or some passer-by with a compulsion to tidy the unruly masses of leaves on the path?

Click to read more ...

Crimson Queen

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Crimson Queen' (Crimson Queen Laceleaf Maple)

To capture the best light on a grey, overcast day, I moved the red queen to the front of the balcony for these first two photos. Usually, though, this elegant tree occupies the sheltered back corner where she adds beauty, grace and -- especially this November -- brilliant colour.

A closer look at the foliage, "deeply cut and finely serrated, delicate and elegant" (Ezra Haggard's apt description; see links below) 

The manner by which 'Crimson Queen' marks the seasons -- purple for spring, bicolor for summer, bright red for autumn, then revealing its limb structure for winter -- makes it an all-season delight (Paghat's Garden).

Two months ago, 'Crimson Queen''s leaves were green and deep reddish-purple (September 2010) 

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Crimson Queen' delights from spring through fall and serves as a natural sculpture in winter. Foliage, form, and structure all combine to make it one of the most interesting trees for the garden. 'Crimson Queen' ... tend[s] to form shrubby mounds, wider than tall, 8' to 10' in height and 12' wide. Branches can be kept weeping all the way to the ground or be pruned up for a more tree-like, pendulous effect. The gnarled, twisted branches have their own beautiful pattern, creating a triangular shape that takes a while to come into its own....The foliage of 'Crimson Queen' is a deep reddish-purple, 5 to 9 lobes deeply cut and finely serrated, delicate and elegant....As the tree matures, the branches form a living sculpture, spreading outward and curving upward (Trees, shrubs, and roses for midwest gardens).

 

The balcony garden 3 years ago (September 2007)

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Crimson Queen' (Crimson Queen Laceleaf Maple) - in rear

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Inaba Shidare' (Inaba Shidare Japanese Maple) - front left

Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' (Black Mondo Grass) - front right

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Crimson Queen' receives my highest recommendation for the small garden. I purchased a two-to-three year old specimen from a community plant sale in 2004 and since then, this lovely Japanese maple has grown slowly in the same place in the semi-shady corner of my balcony.

My growing notes:

• Growing zone - 7-8 (Vancouver, BC); 'Crimson Queen' is hardy to Zone 5.

• Location on balcony - sheltered northwest corner, semi-shade.

• Container size - 13-inch (33 cm) diameter, glazed ceramic pot; however, 'Crimson Queen' will need to be repotted to a larger container before next spring.

• Soil - organic potting mix enriched with vermicompost; refreshed every spring.

• Age - Unknown but at least 8 years; I've had 'Crimson Queen' for 6 years (since June 2004).

• Pruning/Staking - I haven't done much pruning, other than remove dried branches. This autumn, though, I removed the bamboo stake, which had been promoting an upright habit; without this support, beginning with next spring's growth 'Crimson Queen''s leader branch should begin cascading down.

Recommended links for more information:

Google books excerpt from Trees, shrubs, and roses for midwest gardens by Ezra Haggard

Paghat's Garden

Gardener's World

Monrovia