Monday, November 30, 2009

Spectacular Sango Kaku and J. Maple Fall Color and a Vacation

From In the Garden

I cannot help but showcase the fall color of some of my Japanese maples. Japanese maples are my favorite small trees (crepes come in second place) and I think you can see why from the fall color of a few of mine. Pictured above is Sango Kaku. I call this my Christy tree because she was here visiting when I planted it in 2003.




I don't believe I've ever posted on this little Japanese maple, cultivar unknown. It was also planted in 2003 when I came home from Iraq and finally had the time to garden. The red is wonderful. This tree was damaged quite heavily in the freeze of 2007 but has recovered nicely. I'm looking for good things from it as it grows. I have other Japanese maple cultivars that are putting on a good show but they are very small so I'm not ready to share them. Aside from the fact that I simply love Japanese maples, I have more of this kind of tree than any other kind of tree here; hence I call it my signature plant. Someday all of them will be big and it will simply be a sight to see with them all here. I anxiously await that day!

Well, now that the obligatory pretty pictures (sadly the pictures cannot compare to the real thing) are out of the way we come to the real reason of my post. We here at In the Garden will be taking the month of December off from blogging in order to spend quality time with our families and loved ones. In the meantime we thought we'd leave you with some favored posts from the past. These are in no particular order but they are older posts regular readers may have missed or may want to look back over. I have provided a brief description so you don't waste your time looking through them all in case the subject does not interest you. Browse them if desired or not. We all know time is precious. Some of these do not have photos due to them being old. I lost many of pictures when I switched my blog over from the FTP website to blogger. Sigh, such is life. Enjoy.

1. Patience? Who has any of this in the garden?

2. Fertilizer? Get some energizer bunnies.

3. Silent Spring? A tribute to a wonderful pioneering woman who stood her ground and changed America.

4. Things You'll Never Hear a Gardener Say. 'Nuff said.

5. Land Grant Universities. Interesting information about your local extension offices and the universities they are affiliated with.

6. Who's In the Garden? One of my favorite posts of all time. This post generated a lot of comments-conversations amongst the core group of commenters of this garden blog when it first started. It was like sitting on the front porch and I do miss that.

7. Gigantic Snow People. Putting the quirks of a great north eastern state to work and utilizing that cold snow to make lots of fun.

8. The Masters in Georgia. A wonderful look at spring colors and an American tradition.

9. Cedar. A wonderful versatile tree with many uses that brings back memories.

10. Wildlife In the Garden. Sharing our gardens with a multitude of life.

11. Fiddleheads. Love them all and a special tribute.

12. Mom's Vegetable Garden. Where memories are made.

13. Flying Flowers. A lovely look at butterflies.

14. Shenandoah Color. A colorful drive.

15. Citrus in the Deep South. The yummy flavorfulness of healthy citrus.

Fifteen posts are more than enough I think. You all take care.

Do be safe over the holidays and here's wishing you all Happy Holidays from all of us here....

in the garden....

61 comments:

  1. Would miss reading u.... but still nothin's more important than the family.... They are happy , we are happy...Life becomes more easy with them & their love....May b they would not b able to solve all our complicated issues, but still, they by our side gives all the courage in the world, to face life with ease...

    Happy Celebrations to u & your family!!!!!

    And yes kindly accept & collect, my smile to u....

    Ash....
    (http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Tina, thanks for the list. I do remember some of them, probably all have been read. Do take time for your family, that is the most important thing in life! Do take care of yourself too! {{{U}}}

    Frances

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm glad you are taking time off. Let us know how you did yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Holidays and enjoy your time off.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your fall colors are beautiful Tina! As much as I will miss you all--you deserve a break. All your post have been so informative and entertaining! It is how I start my day. Happy Holidays to all of you In The Garden..

    ReplyDelete
  6. If I had to guess I'd say that was an Acer palmatum 'bloodgood', the best Japanese Maple for hardiness, especially in this area. I sell a lot at the garden center where I work. It will eventually grow to be a good size -20-25 feet but they're as slow as Christmas :-)

    Can't blame you for being a huge fan of the Japanese Maples. They've been dubbed the 'aristocrats ' of the tree world .

    Enjoy your holiday, Tina.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tina girl ! A time out to spend that precious time with family and friends is exactly what they and YOU need girl : )
    I understand how vital that is .. having that military connection, well it puts such a different kind of stress on us that non-military people can't quite understand what that is like. It impacts us for the rest of our lives.
    Your Japanese Maples are gorgeous and will only get more beautiful as they age.
    I was going to try "Bloodgood" but picked up on a Korean Maple Acer pseudosieboldianum and read such good things about it , plus being hardier in my zone .. well I am obsessed with it now ? LOL
    Wonderful pictures girl !
    Joy : )

    ReplyDelete
  8. Enjoy your time off! It's a good time for a break since there isn't much growing and Christmas will soon be here. The Japanese maple is awesome!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I agree, Japanese maples are elegant trees. Lovely foliage and a very graceful shape.

    We will miss your post but I'm looking forward to reading those oldies you mentioned. Enjoy your holiday season.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those japanese maples are just gorgeous and I can see why you'd want them to be your "signature" plant.

    Thanks for providing us with some holiday reading. I'll miss you, but a month long sabbatical can definitely re-charge the batteries. Enjoy the season!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Your maples are gorgeous - what bright beautiful pictures they make! I have 2 Japanese and my Crimson King Maple - can't wait for the 2 little ones to catch up to my big one.
    Enjoy your month of vacation.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rock on Tina! Have a great break from the web.
    Love the coral bark maple...have it on my plan.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Good Morning! Overcast day but perfect to finish Christmas decorating inside. I have had the best time making new garlands and changing things up a bit. Am really getting into the spirit of things to soon come in December!

    Your maples are stunning with their bright colors. Our little J.M.'s put on that vibrant deep red color I so enjoy each fall. They are a favorite of ours as well.

    I will miss the blog and posting. I have so much going on in my life right now, the time off will be enjoyed with my family and friends. Hope you have a wonderful month ahead and enjoy life with Mr Fixit by your side……

    An Early MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone in Blogland..

    ReplyDelete
  14. Happy Holidays to you as well! I will miss your posts but I love your idea of taking the month off. It is already hectic enough! Please have a safe and wonderful season!
    I will enjoy these posts you left in the meantime.
    Rosey

    ReplyDelete
  15. Those sure are wonderful colors on those trees!!!

    Have a great vacation.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Autumn trees are majestic! You made a very wise decision Tina. Have a great December! Don't forget to come back!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I think the J. Maples are a perfect signature plant, how nice to have room for many of them. They are such beautiful trees year round.
    Have a nice break, you know I'll miss you! Hope you have a great time with your family. I'll be reading through your posts.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks everyone! Glad you like those Japanese maples. They are truly aristocrats and so darned lovely! I'll miss everyone too but we'll see ya in January sometimes. Ciao!

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a great post Tina. Now I'll have some good reading while you are on vacation. I do like to go back & re-read as I do forget.

    I know how much family means as I don't have the privilege to have all of mine close by. I did have a couple days, this past weekend, with a brother that I hadn't been around for many yrs.

    I hope you have a wonderful time with family & this time off that you so deserve.

    I will miss the blog---"talking" to all the other wonderful cyber "friends". I would like to take this opportunity to wish ALL:

    "HAPPY HOLIDAYS"

    ReplyDelete
  20. Japanese Maples are wonderful trees Tina and yours are lovely specimens. Have a wonderful time~~Please know that you will be greatly missed! I may be off, too, since I am having surgery on my hand this week. We'll see how it goes. hugs, gail

    ReplyDelete
  21. These are gorgeous trees, Tina! And I'm amazed at how big they already are; your garden is going to be a blaze of beautiful fall color as they all mature.

    I am certainly going to miss you this month, but I do wish you a wonderful time with your family. In the meantime, I will check out some of those early posts that I know I didn't see. Wishing you and your family a very happy Holiday Season!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Someday I'll be brave enough to try to grow Japanese Maples, they are such elegant trees. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday time!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Beautiful Japanese Maples! I will look through the older posts. Have a fun and safe holiday.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Tina, Skeeter and Dawn,
    Maybe I'll take a blogging break next year. I'm still too addicted right now.

    Tina, those are great looking trees with lovely fall colors. They will be a sight to see when they grow larger. I may be back to see your other posts as time goes by. Right now, I'm reading through blotanical, which I haven't done for awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Tina those are some gorgeous trees. Love all that color. I can imagine when they get bigger how they will look.

    Gail, Wishes for the best. Do take care.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Enjoy your time off! Happy Holidays to you and yours! :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hello Tina,

    I love Japanese Maples, but since we cannot grow them here, I will just have to enjoy yours :0)

    I hope you enjoy a wonderful December and look forward to seeing you back in January!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Tina, Wow--that's what your garden looks like right now--still with colorful leaves?! Have a great time offline, and thanks for leaving us little morsels--almost like an Advent calender! Happy holidays!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I have an award for you
    http://zindagi-traume.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  30. I share your love of japanese maples, they will be wonderful to watch as they age and have even more presence. Have a wonderful month with your loved ones.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Enjoy your month off Tina. I was hoping you'd be posting some of your holiday decorating photos ~ I remember your house was fantastic last year. I'll content myself with finding those pics and looking at them again tho.
    I really would love to have a Japanese maple in my yard. I have to try harder to find a spot. I can see why they are your signature plant.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Have a wonderful Christmas. I can't wait to hear all about it.

    ReplyDelete
  33. What a delight to see your fall color when all our leaves are down. I love Japanese maples. Happy holidays to you and I look forward to your return.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Merry Christmas Ms. Tina, Ms. Lola, Ms. Skeeter, and Ms. Dawn! And if you didn't know by now, I love y'all's blog!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I'll miss you all, ladies, but it's good to take a break, slow down, and spend time with loved ones. Thanks for the reading list. I did miss some of those posts, and I'll catch up while you're gone. Happy Holidays, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Have a great time with your families this holiday season! We definitely miss you out here in the blogosphere!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Maples is one of my fav too. We don"t have them growing in North India'however i got to see them as a Bonsai in Mumbai. To compensate i have a wall in my room painted with maple leaves....Btw The Fall colours you have captured with Christy n your signature plant look spectacular! Happy Holidays to you and Your family too!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hello tina,

    I came back home two days ago from my native place and I've just found this post. How beautiful your autumn colors! Your symbol maple tree's red is so splendid! I don't have any maple but my mother has the same type. It has turned red just like yours!! I enjoyed this post very much. Thank you very much for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Brilliant idea! Have a lovely holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  40. Enjoy your time off and you and yours have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Have a fantastic December break! I'm going to take a peak at #15 now.

    ReplyDelete
  42. It must be wonderful to have Japanese maples and see those red leaves during fall.
    Wonder this is where you get maple syrup from - or do these japanese maple syrup are different from the common ones.

    I for one, never come across any of these in my part of the world.

    Have a nice Christmas & a wonderful New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi James, Thanks for stopping by. These maples do not give maple syrup but boy would they ever be even more spectacular if they did. We have sugar maples that give syrup. They'll be running soon and it is always a nice time of the year over here, especially in the northeast where a lot of maple syrup comes from.

    Everyone have great holidays! They're almost here!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Wish you a happy holiday to you and your family, too. Thanks for your photos and the links.

    Greetings from London.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Happy Holidays Tina & Skeeter! Enjoy your break and family.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Hi Tina~
    I hope you enjoyed the month of December! Wishing you and your family the happiest of holiday seasons!
    ~Karrita

    ReplyDelete
  47. Tina,

    I've been missing out on everything since I got this respiratory thing. I am trying to catch up and see that you're taking a much-deserved break to spend time with your family.

    Happy Holidays and Blessings to You All!
    Cameron

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hi Tina, Dawn and Skeeter. I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!! You and your families too.

    I'll be offline until the 28th so probably won't have a chance to say it again.
    Marnie

    ReplyDelete
  49. I like to wish you all a merry chrismas, have a savety time !!! Kathrin aus Bremen

    ReplyDelete
  50. Hi Tina...enjoy your break! The red of the maples...oh, so lovely!!

    Just wanted to tell you I've moved to Wordpress. Wishing you and your loved ones A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a great year ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Happy Holidays Tina, Skeeter, Lola and Dawn!

    Hope you're enjoying your blogging break!

    ReplyDelete
  52. Merry Christmas Tina! I have enjoyed your post this past year and look forwarding to reading more in 2010. H

    ReplyDelete
  53. Just stopping in to wish all of you--Tina, Skeeter, Dawn, and Lola--a very Merry Christmas! Hope you are getting to spend lots of quality time with your family, Tina.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Dropping by to say Merry Christmas. Here's wishing you a great year ahead

    ReplyDelete
  55. Thank you everyone for the very nice holiday wishes! We all hope yours was great too! We just got in from the Smokies for our Christmas. More on that next year. Hugs to all! and to all a goodnight...oops-g'day!

    ReplyDelete
  56. Just stopping by to wish you all a Happy New Year. I hope you're enjoying your time with family and find yourselves refreshed when you get back.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hi Tina, I hope I have found the right Tina here - I was delighted that you found my Mannheim blog and left a comment. I attended Heidelberg University years ago and ended up staying. While you were here you may have heard about Schrebergärten - well, that's what I have. Your blog looks beautiful, love those maples. Thanks for your input on my invasive species problem. Hope to be in touch. Happy New Year - Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  58. Shady & peaceful looking.Wish i am there

    ReplyDelete
  59. Hi Tina,
    Just wanted to say hi and Happy New Year! Hope you had a fun time with your family!
    Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  60. I will not agree on it. I think nice post. Expressly the title-deed attracted me to review the whole story.

    ReplyDelete

ALL SPAM WILL BE PROMPTLY FRIED. PLEASE DO NOT LIFT PHOTOS OR WORDS. THANKS!