I noticed we don't really have a fall color thread for 2012. Since I always enjoy looking at people's maples in full show, I thought I'd start one. We are having cold nights, which favors good colors, but also a lot of rain, which doesn't. Things aren't very advanced yet, but I went around and took a couple of phone snapshots. I did notice that some maples that I wouldn't expect much color from, like sinopurpurescens or sterculiaceum ssp thomsonii, are showing some very red leaves. The pics are: Utsu semi, Aconitifolium, Tharandt, misc pots, Akikasi nishiki, Silver vein. The colors didn't come out great, in particular Tharandt is a super strong yellow/ So let's see those fall color pictures! :) -E
Lookin good! Most of mine are starting to lose thier leaves already but I have a few that are just starting to color up as well. I'll try to get a few shots before they are all gone.
My Sango Kaku bonsai is at peak color this weekend. The aureum and Sharp’s Pygmy are at peak in the second picture, along with bloodgood in the third. The rest of the back yard still has a long way to go, maybe in another week or two it will be at peak.
Here are a few more. First pic-Willow leaf, Kamagata, Hana matoi, and bihou. Second pic- Coral pink in red pot. Third pic- Ryusen and Garnet:
Had to try taking a few night pics because I can't seem to get a chance in the day. Most of them didn't turn out but a couple show pretty nice colors. Ukigumo, Aconitifolium, Burgundy flame
Very nice! We had a good cold snap last week - even had a frost warning for a couple of nights - so the trees are starting to nicely turn colors now. Saw some beautiful yellows, reds, and combinations of the two taking the dogs for a walk this evening. I've noticed my Ueno yama is starting to change (looks like a nice burgundy-red on some of the edges), my Green Cascade is decidedly more yellow-green than green, and Sunset and Seiryu are starting to go rusty... Hopefully I can start posting some pics in the next week or two!
Here is a picture of Acer palmatum 'Filigree' in peak fall colors. It's the tree in the back right corner of the patio (yellow). 'Sharp's Pygmy' (red) peak fall color in blue bonsai pot. Other trees featured in the photo (along right side, front to back) 'Ojishi', 'Garnet', 'Shishigashira', and 'Filigree'. A larger photo is available on my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/8091079225/in/photostream
Finally got a chance to get a couple pics in the daytime. Most of my new ones got pretty beat up in the drought and are fairly small so I took some close ups. It gives me hope for the future. I think they have a lot of potential looking at the few leaves that did color up nice. Here is Ukigumo, it started all yellow then took on some nice oranges and reds and today its mostly red. The pics where taken yesterday before it got a lot of red.
Higasayama didn't have many leaves left but it looks like it could be a real stuner in the future. And then of course the tree known for the best red fall looks like it could hold up to that bold statement, Osakazuki.
And last one for now, Hano Matoi. I really like the orange it's showing in comparison to my other red dissectums that are pretty much solid red, they are very pretty but all look very close, not this guy.
I love this pi JT! Looks like a great place to come home from work, sit down and just relax till sunset. :-)
Thank you rufretic! We spend the majority of our free time out there in spring, summer, and fall. I feel like I am in a different world when I’m back there. It is great even after sunset, because we have landscape lighting that lights up much of the maples. The leaves become translucent at night and glow with colors that are not visible during the day. Our patio is our outdoor dining room and living room 2/3 of the year. I feel it's one of the best investments that we made. Instead of going out, we love to have friends and family over to our place for drinks and dinner on the patio. I think the color on the filigree improved overnight. http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/8096921960/in/photostream
Beautiful patio setting JT1, do you mist your bonsai during the summer daily or ? we have temps in the mid 30's this morn with heavy fog so the wet dew has heighten the oranges on Beni Shidare and Virdis out front plus Suminigashi hanging over the dissectums but it will be at least another week to 10 days before the show really starts. wonderful colours all of you ........ Eric
I spend most of my time at home outside as well and my garden doesn't even compare to yours yet so I know what you mean. Once you make your outdoors so nice, why go anywhere else? I eventually will add lighting as well, I love being outside a night but right now it's pretty hard to see anything lol. Oh yeah, it improved! It looks way more orange now. Beautiful! I can't wait to get a Filgree, it's #1 on my dissectum list. My last purchase was either Filgree or Hano Matoi. The Filgree I looked at was just too beat up from the drought so I went with the other. I love the Hano Matoi so far but now you just make me want a Filgree even more! Great lookin tree!
how would dissectum Inabe Shidare do in your area ? planted one for a neighbor 15 years ago it is huge but overgrown mass with his weeds sadly he will not allow me to touch it and get it pruned correctly. The Maple is gorgeous in the Autumn with intense crimson colours. we also have a covered patio facing eastward the Mrs has had me put in dried grape vines that the clematis has surrounded and then we have added several different colours of the small Christmas weat lites for just a little light in the eves'......works out quite well. Eric
Thank you! Yes, in the hottest part of the summer I water my bonsai in the morning and evening. Otherwise once a day works just fine. This time of year I water once every other day, sometimes once a week if we get a decent rain and it stays cool. I have an attachment for my hose that works well, so it does not take too much time. Thank you! My Filigree gets plenty of shade. It's much happier now. I had it growing in more sun a few years ago, but it was not happy. In shade, the fall color is better and the leaves maintain a soft delicate feeling and appearance. The variegation lasts much longer in shade too. In sun, the leaves grow larger and loose the variegation quickly, the margins become sharply toothed and start to dry out. (or that's my experience for my area) It may be why the one you looked at looked beat up, well I'm sure this tough season had much to do with it.
Wonderful pictures. Very nice bonsai collection, JT1. I'm on Wee Trees Bonsai Forum, pop in sometime, it's avery friendly place (I'm AlainK there too). I can't compete (if there is any competition) with most of you, but i have this 'Sango kaku' outside my kitchen window, it's such a pleasure to see the colours change throughout the seasons. A bit of leaf-burn, but the different shades of colours are great anyway, it's so nice to contemplate in the morning or at sunset when it gets the last sunrays... Most of my trees haven't turned into their autumn colours yet, but this one stood in full sun until mid-July.
Here are a few from 18th October A whole mixture here, but I will try: (a) 'Hemelrijk' (b) 'Kamagata' and 'Burgundy Lace' with a view of 'Chitoseyama' and 'Trompenburg' (c) Mostly 'Burgundy Lace' and 'Chitoseyama' and a view of 'Ariadne' (d) 'Chitoseyama' and 'Ariadne' ... the yellow is 'Omurayama' (e) 'St Jean' (f) 'Inaba Shidare' and behind it 'Kinran' (g) 'Kiri Nishiki' (h) 'Waterfall' (i) 'Aconitifolium'
Filigree and Koto no ito. You can view a larger picture on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/8106157746/in/photostream/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/8106161388/in/photostream/
Very pretty. I love the pinks in the first couple. You need to let us know whats what. Wow I had no idea what great fall colors filgree gets. I'll have one next season for sure. I just got a few small Koto no itos this year, I was shocked to see them at Home depot and couldn't just pick one. For only 25$ each(3-4 year trees) I'll be happy if just one or two of the three make it. I was a little shocked, all three turned different colors this fall. One was bright yellow in full shade, one was orange and gets an hour or two early morning sun and the third was bright red with mid-day sun for a few hours. That's the cool thing about getting multiples of the same cultivars is you can play with different planting spots and really see how it affects the tree. Can't wait to see if I get the same results next year. Yours looks closest to my orange one. How much sun does it get? I need to get back out there and take a few more pics. Mikawa yatsubusa, Ryusen and Tsuma Beni are all starting to color up now. Everything else is pretty much done already :-(
Very pretty, everyone! And I hope there will be more, too. :) I haven't had time to go out with the camera, and anyway the constant rain is making it a very difficult fall for color: even the ultra-reliable A. triflorum is going straight to brown... But my wife took this from inside the kitchen to post on her Facebook page, A. sieboldianum with Sango kaku just behind it. Funny, my Koto no ito has not turned at all yet, where many of the Japanese maples have lost leaves entirely (and some others are just turning now). cheers! -E
