Japanese maples (Acer palmatum and cultivars) are extraordinarily beautiful garden trees. Grow them for the wonderful foliage color and winter branching structure. These trees are a wonderful smaller scale answer to our limited sized Southern California gardens.

Japanese maples can be grown almost anywhere in the West, except in the deserts. They thrive in the Pacific Northwest and coastal Northern California. In warmer areas of inland Northern California and in Southern California, a sheltered location - such as in a courtyard or on the north side of the house - is crucial for success. Any combination of strong sunlight, alkaline or salty soil, and dry winds can result in scorched leaf edges by midsummer. And that scorching usually ruins the fall color.

There are hundreds and hundreds of cultivars of Japanese maples. Of course, you won't find all of them here at our garden center, but you will find those varieties that will do well here. Still, you will have many to choose from. So how do you make your final selection(s)? Consider tree form, foliage shape and color, cultivar needs and the desired effect or look that you are trying to achieve.

Japanese maples will be most happy planted in front of north and east walls, in entryways and as small lawn trees. Exceptions to the rule would be if you have a shady area of your yard that is not north or east, but it is protected by larger plants or a towering building (that offers shade much of the day). They are attractive in groves (like birches) or singly in woodland plantings including ferns, azaleas, columbine, and hosta.

There are upright forms and weeping forms, coral-colored bark that just 'pops' in winter. All leaf shapes are palmate or the classic maple shape, like the palm of your hand. Some are classically cut, others are deeply cut-leaves, giving the tree a lacy look. Spring color in most varieties is reddish-pink to pink. Summer colors range from burgundy to green to variegations of green, pink and white or cream. Fall colors can be yellow to orange to deep red-orange to red; again, depending on variety.

But fall color is only one of the only reasons to plant a Japanese maple. Few other trees are so well behaved. Their roots are noninvasive; their fallen leaves break down quickly or blow away in the wind, making autumn cleanup easy; and even the taller varieties can usually be pruned from a stepladder. The Japanese maple is an excellent choice for the smaller garden or use as a patio tree.

Japanese maples also deliver four seasons of garden interest. In winter, their bare branches (they are deciduous) have a rare structural beauty--some highly colorful, others with graceful weeping silhouettes. The branch pattern can be strongly upright on trees over 20 feet tall, or weeping and dome-shaped on shrub-like trees less than 4 feet. Some varieties have green, red, or variegated bark.

Unfortunately, many homeowners purchase a beautiful Japanese maple in spring only to watch the leaves get burned in summer. We get panicked calls from customers fearing that they have killed their beautiful young tree. The tree isn't dying - it's just suffering from heat stress, incorrect watering, or maybe even incorrect placement in the yard. Ideal conditions include filtered or partial shade, well-drained soil slightly on the acidic side, and consistent moisture. A 3- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch helps maintain soil moisture.

This condition can also be caused by salt burn from the use or overuse of strong chemical fertilizers containing high amounts of nitrogen. Even if the soil is moist around the trees, the tree can burn because the moist soil actually activates the fertilizer, and the tree cannot control the amount of fertilizer it draws up. So take care to not over-fertilize.

"So," you ask, "What do we do to minimize the leaf burn?" Japanese maples do need a consistently moist, well-drained environment and, preferably, the use of an organic fertilizer such as Whitney Farm Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer. Use this fertilizer before the new growth appears in the spring. When planting your new Japanese maple, make sure that you mix Farmers Azalea & Camellia acid planting mix with the native soil of your garden before planting. And always be sure to top off your soil with mulch to keep the soil cool and moist. Remember: never plant a Japanese maple in a low spot or near an area that may have standing water, or your new tree will succumb to root rot.

Japanese maples are the spotlight of any garden as they pose with complete elegance any time of year. Surrounded by woodland plants such as ferns or azaleas, or under-planted with Chinese fringe (Loropetalum), Pittosporum 'Crème de Mint' and day lilies, this tree will bring beauty to your garden forever. Welcome one into your garden; you'll see just what we truly mean.

“It's the time of tiny leaves, delicate blossoms, and long graceful catkins, the time of fragile hues, gentle rains and the glowing days that sunshine brings.” Gwen Frostic

If you live where the four seasons of the year are immensely distinctive, not subtle or subdued, do you realize how lucky you are that those seasons are expressed by the changes in each tree? The summer brings breezes rustling through the leaves and shade for hot sunny days. Fall brings vivid foliage colors and a sweet fragrance embedded in your memory banks throughout time. Winter is not barren – it is the time of year that a tree exposes itself fully, demonstrating its boldness in structure and beauty all the while quietly regrouping.

And then Spring, a time of nature’s rebirth or reawakening, leaves budding and flowers blooming, birds singing, and bees returning. What could be more delightful to beckon you out into your garden but a flowering tree, one of our first signs of spring? And that spring flowering tree is a delight in moderate climates as well.

Trees, spring flowering or not, come in a large variety of sizes and shapes, flower types and colors. When choosing a tree for your garden these characteristics are a large part of the consideration. Do you want a patio tree (up to 20 feet) or do you have room for a larger scale tree that may reach 30 to 40 feet? Is there a leaf shape that is attractive to you? Or maybe what is important is the flower shape and color. Perhaps your garden has room for more than one tree and your considerations are bloom times and bloom colors.

We have a number of suggestions for you to ponder. Keep in mind the space in your landscape, and the size of tree vs. proximity to your house or scale of your house. Patio trees allow us to look out of your window at the beauty of a tree and see the structure, foliage and flowers from the first floor or second floor of your home. A larger tree might be best placed at a distance from your viewing window to allow you to appreciate all that it has to offer from a distance, rather than placing it close to your house where your best view may be only the trunk and bark. We do not want to understate the beauty of bark, but in all likelihood, that is not all that you desire to appreciate about your tree.

Patio trees – Growth to 20 feet

The Orchid tree (Bauhinia) is a beautiful winter/spring flowering tree for mild winter climates. Its orchid form flowers are spectacular, with colors that range from cranberry maroon through purple and rose to pink, depending on the variety. The twin-lobed leaf is a beautiful foliage shape that adds an interesting texture to this semi-deciduous tree. There are several different varieties available, so be sure to consult us regarding the best selection for your zone.

The Redbud (Cercis) is a tree valued for its heart-shaped leaves as well as its flowers and fruit. In the spring, the rosy blossoms are borne in large profusion on bare branches. Several species are available, the most common being Cercis canadensis or the Eastern Redbud and a variety, the burgundy foliage Forest Pansy. The Cercis occidentalis or Western Redbud, a native of California, Arizona and Utah, is also available over a wide growing zone region.

Dogwood (Cornus) is another wonderful deciduous tree offering attractive foliage and spectacular mid and late spring blossoms. In reality, these showy petal-like structures are bracts or modified leaves. But never mind the botanical techno-lingo, they are a beautiful spring show not to be missed!

Prunus is an enormous plant family of trees that includes not only beautiful flowering trees, but also flowering varieties that also bear edible fruits such as cherry, plum, peach, almond and many more stone fruits. For our gardens, we more often see the ornamental species which can be found in the two main categories of deciduous or evergreen. Probably the flowering plum, with its midwinter/spring pink blossoms giving way to red to purple foliage, is the most popular garden patio tree in the Prunus group. Talk to our nursery experts for the best variety for your zone.

The Trumpet tree (Tabebuia) bears showy trumpet-shaped flowers in clusters that can profusely cover the tree. These are excellent for either patio trees or even container trees. Two distinct species are the Golden Trumpet tree, which is briefly deciduous and has showy golden yellow flowers with maroon stripes in the flower throat, and the Pink Trumpet tree, which is semi-evergreen. These winter/spring blooming flowers are light pink to purple - and occasionally the tree will rebloom in summer or fall.

Midsize to Large Trees

Horse chestnut or Buckeye (Aesculus) trees are beautiful and showy in the spring. Another plus for these flowers is that hummingbirds just love them. The spectacular foliage is palmately compound (divided fanlike into 5-7 large, toothed leaflets). The ultimate tree height is dependent upon the variety of horse chestnut that you have chosen but the range is 20 to 40 feet.

Magnolias are simply magnificent flowering plants. Open any book on trees, look up magnolia and you will find a list so long, you will wonder how to pick the best one for your garden. That is when you need to consult your local garden nurseryperson. Spring flowers can come in white, pink, red purple and even yellow. Magnolias can be either evergreen or deciduous. Probably the most common to all of us is Magnolia soulangeana or the Saucer Magnolia. However, the Southern Magnolia or Magnolia grandiflora is well known too. We could include Magnolia under the patio tree section as well. Some varieties grow to only 20 feet.

Ornamental Pear (Pyrus not Prunus) is known for its profusion of early spring white flowers. In the spring, stroll into your yard and just listen - you will hear a low hum "hmmmmmmm," the sound of the bees gorging themselves on the flowers. It is simply amazing. And by the way, don't be alarmed if you are not a bee lover. These bees are busy with one task, collecting nectar and pollens. They really aren't the least bit interested in you.

Jacaranda is one beautiful tree, in bloom or not. But springtime covers this tree with a lavender blue tubular flower show. There is also a white flower variety available, but not as commonly seen. The foliage is finely cut, fernlike leaves that fall in late fall/winter. These tiny leaves just disappear in the blades of your grass, so no raking! And the flower show will repeat in the form of a beautiful lavender dusting of fallen flowers under the branches of the tree.

Rhubarb is one of those crops that almost look after themselves, and if you have an established clump, forcing tender young stems is very easy. There are many methods of forcing rhubarb, and they all seem to work well. Just choose a technique that you find convenient.

Choose a method of excluding light. Special pots at one time were used for this, but now most people improvise. An old tea chest, bucket, or barrel is a simple but effective alternative. If you don’t have these, make a frame from wire-netting and canes.

Pile straw into the wire-netting cage, pressing it well down, to provide warmth and protection. Another simple way to make a rhubarb forcer is with a plastic dustbin. If you don’t mind cutting the bottom out of it, use it right way up with a lid on; otherwise use it inverted without a lid.

For really early crops many gardeners lift a well-established root and leave it on the surface for a few weeks. This gives the root a cold spell that makes it think winter is more advanced than it is.

Replant your chilled crown for outdoor forcing, or bring it into the greenhouse. If you have a warm greenhouse, place it under the bench, screened with black plastic. Alternatively, pot it up and put a plastic bag to take indoors. Make sure there is plenty of air in the bag by keeping it loose and making a few small air holes; then place the bag in a warm yet convenient place--under the stairs or in a kitchen cupboard. Check progress periodically.