Very nice. Thanks.

tj

Mine also had great color this year but I live close to the water and it's been blustery.......most are pretty much nude now.

I think this year's fall color show has been better than typical. I got much better coloring on most of my maples than usual and a viburnum which has never colored up much before is looking great! And a neighboring bigleaf maple is a glorious gold this year and they are most often just a 'meh' colored yellow or go straight to brown and dead.

Gardengal, my area, NE Vancouver, is almost in full color now. Tonight’s forecast low of 27 will finish off many things!

This sedum ‘carnea’ groundcover is turning to a nice purple.

This is like a torch! Better every day.

plant to right of fothergilla is a ‘My Monet’ Weigela which just dropped all of its top leaves that were browned from August poor air quality from fires. you can see some leaves still clinging to right side of it. It is deciduous so will recover.

Thank you maackia! Yes, Life is always good when in the garden!

Parent species of the 'Carnea' stonecrop is Sedum spathulifolium which is local native.

We haven't had rain in more than 3 weeks and my Japanese Maple went from looking lovely to having crispy curled up leaves overnight. There was no freeze, in fact we have been having very warm weather this past week. Should I water the tree?

debra

Debra , can’t remember if I learned where you live when I admired your Limelight tree so you’ll need to define “warm weather” for me 🙂.Do you know the name of your Japanese maple or had the leaves turned yet? Some Japanese maples don’t shed leaves until leafing out in spring. And, is this new or established tree, & how does it usually get watered - irrigation system or rain only? Regardless of answers, watering now isn’t going to spur it into making new leaves but if the soil around it is very dry & your lack of rain this time of year is unusual then it should have a deep drink because hydrated roots help plants bear the stress of winter. That’s really important too if it’s a young tree. I understand the reason Japanese maples do so well in PNW is our moisture (rain) and our temperate year round climate. We do have 100+ heat waves in July & August & if these trees don’t get extra water they do suffer crisped leaves.

Kathy

Fantastic

if these trees don’t get extra water they do suffer crisped leaves

Yes: the dry summer and wet winter combination of our regional climate is the opposite of what monsoon climate plants such as Japanese maple are adapted to.

Kw, I am in Milwaukee Wisconsin, zone5b. My little tree is 11 years old and is a Tamukeyama JP. It isn’t as big as it could get, but I think that’s because I didn’t plant it in a great spot. Its near a lannon stone wall, and maybe 12 feet from a king crimson maple. (Roots!) But each year it has survived winter and blooms nicely. This past week has been in the mid 70s and Sunny. Very unsesonal weather. Everything was well watered as we had had some quite rainy weather prior to the last few weeks and we have also had freezes. I will make sure I give it a good drink. I also believe rain is expected this week.

Thanks for everyone’s input.

debra

Debra, I had to look up your tree -it’s a really pretty purple lace leaf. Had to look up King Crimson too. That’s a big ‘real’ maple! Since your Japanese maple is so well established & it’s so late in season a sure bet it’ll survive but mid 70’s at this time of year - well, that’s just wild. All of you out that way are seeing surprise warm weather! A thorough deep watering will sure not hurt it before you get another freeze & the snow comes to protect roots. So different than my area where our clay soil creates bathtubs in the root bowl & things rot if drainage isn’t adequate. Embothrium described what our Japanese maples really want!

Kathy

Yesterday I watered the tree by hand and today it just get done Pouring!! 😁

Yes the JP has very lacy leaves. I was told by an arborist who trimmed my King Crimson Maple that it was a “real maple” just like you said........lol. What are all the other maples? Fake?? Hahaha.......

debra

Funny! What defines a “real maple” likely depends on one’s perspective - just ask someone from Vermont. 😆 🍁

My neighbor has a 'real maple' in his Summer pasture. Yes, the moss is that green. Compare it to the pasture grass.

Acer macrophyllum

Wow - most impressive trunk and the moss is gorgeous! True emerald green. Thanks for sharing 😊

KW. you posted a picture of your sedum called 'Carnea'. Embo correctly called it 'spathulifolium'. Here's a picture of some of mine turning a purplish red also. I just hope the picture goes through.

@Mike McGarvey, please try again on your picture! Mine is still very colorful thro our very wet & chilly high 40’s weather. I’ve placed bits of it that’s grown out of bounds & I’ve cut off into the stretch I’d like it to fill in & am hoping it takes hold & takes off this spring.

These look so pretty, the moss is sooo green! gorgeous.

Ok, here goes on the Sedum picture.

I have tried every way imaginable to post a picture. Unless I can post pictures I'm done with this site. Anybody have any suggestions?

Mike, oddly enough I find the new configuration of GW - the Houzz version - easier to post photos in than previously!! Size seems to be the biggest issue with getting them to post. Have you tried reducing size and then trying?

I can’t stand the thought of no more Mike, and his beautiful mature garden. I hope you find a way to get it to work. 🙁

Let’s see if this works...it’s a slightly reduced iPhone pic...on gardenweb.

Has anything changed from your last successful post of a pic?

tj

@tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱ - what is that beautiful thing? A hummingbird moth? Many years ago I saw something like this at my Camellia flowers in my deck planter box. I was so startled as at first glance I assumed it was a hummer then when I suddenly I realized it wasn’t & went for closer look it flew off. Research led me to a huge moth that hovers like a hummingbird but I’ve never had another sighting. I’ve never forgotten that experience

It’s a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth...Hemaris thysbe.

tj

I'll try that sedum pic that shows stressed sedums that have turned red. Quite common. These are growing on a nurse log with three Tsuga heterophyllas growing out of it.

I'll try that sedum pic that shows stressed

sedum that has turned red.

@Mike McGarvey - that sedum nestled into the moss is so pretty! Was that a planned planting or did it spontaneously occur?

Here's a picture of the nurse log and sedums. Looking north. The nibbled shrub with no leaves is a friend's rose that is regularly trimmed by deer. She insisted it be planted here at the edge of the driveway regularly frequented by passing deer. Sometimes a flower lasts for more than a day. :-) I'm

going to move it soon. (See picture below)

Here's a more encompassing view. It was planned in that I planted the sedums in the moss on the nurse log. The trees are Western Hemlock. The log is an old Douglas Fir. Sedums are usually associated with bright sunny places, not where moss grows. I got the idea to plant sedums with moss after seeing it grow on north facing cliff faces amongst the moss in the Olympic Mountains here in western Wa. St.

That’s a great combo.

tj

Mike,

You have a real knack for creating beautiful works in nature. Real art work imo. :-)

^^ what Bill said. I love the way you see past the current moment, and into the future of your designs.

Thank you. I've been at it for a very long time and now have a 'practiced eye' I guess. Still learning and lovin' it. I have also learned just what our temperate rain forest is able to produce in the way of vegetation. It's a lot.