Maple Society

Last week I attended the North American branch of the International Maple Society's annual meeting held at the Oregon Garden.* We listened to speakers in the morning, then set out for visits to private gardens and wholesale nurseries. All of the gardens were humble but very interesting, and they included plants relatively new to horticulture, as well as venerable old specimens. The wholesale nurseries also featured many new (to America) plants, but the quality at the companies certainly varied, with Munn Nursery by far my favorite. Needless to say, Carl Munn is a grower of Japanese maples, and some of the sizes he peddles are enormous.

*Upon arriving at the Oregon Garden I discovered a note that my 9-year-old daughter slipped into my briefcase:

Dear part-time Papa,

I hope you will have a fun time at the Maple Society, but I still will miss you. Did I spell society right? I am crying right now but I will feel better later. Love you french toast [i.e. the most – more than french toast].

Your youngest,

Saya

You won't learn anything today because I'm sparing you from my usual verbiage, but hopefully some plant photos from the three-day event will interest you.

Deerly Missed Garden

Owner Pat Eckerdt with Abies nordmanniana 'Golden Spreader'

Polyspora longicarpa 'Full Moon'

 

Heptacodium miconioides

Arbutus unedo

Prunus serrula

Munn Nursery

Acer palmatum 'Seiryu'

Acer palmatum 'Seiryu'

Acer pentaphyllum

Acer truncatum 'Fire Dragon'

Acer shirasawanum var. tenuifolium

Acer palmatum 'Ogon sarasa'

Schreiner's Garden

Cyperus papyrus

Betula albosinensis

Cunninghamia lanceolata

Quercus durata

Thuja orientalis

Ricinus communis

Sebright Garden

Aesculus neglecta 'Erythroblastos'

Plumosa multilobum

Pyrossia hastata

Magnolia laevifolia

Cotinus coggygria 'Old Fashioned'

Ginkgo biloba 'Jehoshaphat'

Clerodendrum trichotomum 'Variegatum'

Brunnera 'Alexander's Great'

Cyrtomium fortunei  var. clivicola

Whitman Farms Nursery

Acer buergerianum

Asimina triloba 'Sunflower'

Acer palmatum 'Germaine's Gyration'

Acer palmatum 'Germaine's Gyration'

Fraxinus excelsior 'Aurea'

Cornus nuttallii 'Colrigo Giant'

Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Heronswood Globe'

Hamamelis vernalis 'Sandra'

Morus macroura

Oxydendrum arboreum

Oregon Garden

Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku'

Cotinus 'Grace'

Paulownia tomentosa

Fothergilla gardenii (left) and Euonymus japonicus 'Silver King' (right)

Quercus garryana (Heritage Oak)

Euonymus fortunei

Rhododendron 'Evening Glow'

Tsuga heterophylla 'Thorsen'

Dahlia 'Chilson's Pride'

Larix gmelinii 'Romberg Park'

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Torulosa Dwarf' with mutation

Although there are some nice specimens at the Oregon Garden, I won't judge the overall quality of the experience because I never want the Flora Wonder Blog to end on a negative note; but I basically copy travel writer Jan Morris' comment about Oakland, California, that "There is no there there."

"Come on, Talon, the Oregon Garden is not so bad. Remember, you once said that any garden is better than no garden."