Plain Janes

Posting a blog is by definition an act of arrogance, as if the blogger has something worthy to say. And you, you could be better off tending to your family and livelihood instead. If all is well and secure, then perhaps you can squander some time with me. Be sure, I appreciate all of the positive feedback. If the feedback is negative, then knock it off.

Keep your clothes on Pilgrims

I have also been accused of "ranting" on the blog. But I am far from being a rantipole, as I don't really speak or disclaim extravagantly or violently, or talk in a wild or vehement way. Historically, the Ranters were an outrageous religious sect in England around the 1600's. They were accused of wild debauchery, including nudism and adultery. However, the Ranters were mainly known through the writing of their opponents, and they may not have really existed at all. The word rant is derived from German rantzen, meaning "to frolic." I cringe to imagine the Pilgrims frolicking in the nude, just speaking for myself.

Ok, I promise not to rant or to say anything outrageous, and I am writing this while fully dressed. In fact, I will be close to boring, for today's blog will be about the less popular Japanese maple cultivars, those that are nobody's favorite. These are the plain-janes, the ones that we sell just a few of each year. But every serious maple collection contains them, and if allowed to mature, they can grow into attractive specimens. Young cheerleaders don't always grow into beautiful adult women, but many young unsungs can turn out to be highly esteemed. We are finishing up on Japanese maple propagation this month, and we've grafted at least twenty five of each of the following.

Acer japonicum 'O taki'

Acer japonicum 'O taki'

Acer japonicum 'O taki' is a small to medium-size tree with stout branching and a wide canopy. Large flowers (for a maple) and fresh new growth, reddish changing to light green, greets the observer in spring. By summer the foliage evolves to deep green; then the best excitement arrives in fall with wild coloration of yellow, orange and red, often at the same time. I very much like 'O taki', but apparently Buchholz customers do not, which is too bad. I guess  it doesn't have enough razzle-dazzle in spring, but it more than makes up for it in autumn. I confess to not knowing why the cultivar was named 'O taki', or "large waterfall" in Japanese. Maybe after a good rain the large wet leaves, perhaps moving in the wind, evoked a kind of waterfall image.

Acer palmatum 'Beni tsukasa'

Acer palmatum 'Beni tsukasa'

Acer palmatum 'Beni tsukasa' at the Rhododendron Species Foundation

Acer palmatum 'Beni tsukasa'

Acer palmatum 'Beni tsukasa' never sells very well either, but all of us can admire a mature specimen. The "Beni" in the name refers to the reddish spring new growth. Green coloration follows for summer, then riotous red occurs in autumn. All of that can be different if 'Beni tsukasa' is grown in shade, as I witnessed this past spring at the Rhododendron Species Garden, where the foliage was ghostly white. That specimen was healthy, but not thriving, maybe from root competition with the surrounding flora. I could not immediately identify the cultivar, but I scrambled into the brush and successfully found a label...to my delight.

Acer palmatum 'Elegans'

Acer palmatum 'Kokyo'

Acer palmatum 'Kokyo'

Acer palmatum 'Elegans' is over-named in my opinion, at least in spring and summer, for it looks like palmatum rootstock frankly. Leaves are yellow-green in spring, changing to deeper green by summer. 'Elegans' forms a broad canopy, like most seedling palmatums do. But be patient, for you will be bowled over in fall with outstanding oranges and reds, and it becomes clear that it is deserving of its elegant name. Acer palmatum 'Kokyo' performs the same in fall, although with a different leaf shape. My start of 'Kokyo' came from the famous Jane Platt garden in Portland, Oregon. As the story goes, Mrs. Platt's sister was touring the Imperial estate (called Kokyo) in fall in Tokyo, and helped herself to seed from one flaming red tree. I was allowed to propagated from Mrs. Platt's tree, and took the liberty to apply the name 'Kokyo'. That was presumptuous of me, of course, but in my defense I had to call it something, at least temporarily to keep track of it. Time goes by, and eventually I sold or gave a few away, so the name is out there forever. The late Mrs. Platt had no idea that I was such an entrepreneur, such a capitalist.

Acer palmatum 'Hogyoku'

Acer palmatum 'Hogyoku'

Acer palmatum 'Hogyoku'

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'

Acer palmatum 'Hogyoku' is a favorite of mine, but yet again you are not so enamored. I don't understand it though, because it is a sturdy green tree with leaves and stems easily identifiable. Fall color is pumpkin orange, usually, but sometimes can be straw yellow. The name translates as "a jewel" in Japanese. Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki' is similar, but its green leaves turn to brilliant red in autumn. Due to a slight cupping of the leaves, the Japanese name translates to "leaf like a sake cup." Strangely, 'Osakazuki' used to be quite popular at the beginning of my career, and I don't know why it has fallen out of favor. Sadly a large southern hemisphere company has exported thousands of a wrong clone throughout America and Europe, thus polluting the correct cultivar. Their "version" is also a nice maple, but it is not true 'Osakazuki'. What galls me is that they refuse to acknowledge their error, and continue to propagate and sell the incorrect clone, when the correct cultivar could easily be acquired. There's bad capitalism for you. But I promised not to rant; and I am still fully clothed.

Acer palmatum 'Mon zukushi'

Acer palmatum 'Mon zukushi' is just a little different from those mentioned above, but still distinct enough to be readily identifiable. The tree is stocky, even muscular, and will eventually form a wide canopy. New growth is reddish, but quickly evolves to solid green by early summer. Fall color is strong orange to red. 'Mon zukushi' is a great cultivar name, for it means "one of the sacred treasures" in Japanese.

Acer palmatum 'Baldsmith'

Acer palmatum 'Baldsmith'

Acer palmatum 'Watnong'

Taxus baccata 'Watnong Gold'

Tsuga canadensis 'Watnong Star'

Acer palmatum 'Chantilly Lace'

A "sacred treasure" is certainly a better name than Acer palmatum 'Baldsmith', but 'Baldsmith' is a nice selection nevertheless. I don't know the origin of the cultivar name, or whether or not Mr. Smith had any hair. The tree forms a mounding laceleaf, with very dissected orange-red leaves. To some, it is a nice alternative to the ubiquitous purple-red dissectums, but we never sell very many. Perhaps if customers could see a nice specimen in autumn, they would be won over. Acer palmatum 'Watnong' is similar in sales and appearance to 'Baldsmith', with an equally crappy name. There was nothing ever crappy about the introducers; it was the Smiths from New Jersey at Watnong Nursery. The Smiths introduced a number of excellent plants, such as Sequoiadendron giganteum 'Hazel Smith', Taxus baccata 'Watnong Gold' and Tsuga canadensis 'Watnong Star'. Back to maples, 'Watnong' and 'Baldsmith', those two of which we sell very little, resemble the cultivar 'Chantilly Lace'. For some reason we can sell scads of 'Chantilly Lace', though I can't see what is superior. Do people fall for the name?

Acer palmatum 'Van den Akker'

Acer palmatum 'Van den Akker'

Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Van den Akker'

You don't want to grow too many Acer palmatum 'Van den Akker' either, even though it is another attractive laceleaf. It differs from those in the paragraph above with more dark bronze-purple foliage, leaves which green somewhat in hot summer. But it is "different" as well, and I wouldn't be without it. 'Van den Akker' was selected by a Washington state landscaper from the northwest tip of the state which is populated by many of Dutch origin. He was better known for his outstanding introduction of Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 'Van den Akker', one of the most choice of any conifer for the landscape. Sadly, the photo of the maple cultivar in the Vertrees/Gregory 4^th edition of Japanese Maples (page 362) is not correct, and I have no idea what that tree is.

Acer palmatum 'Samidare'

If I had to divest myself of all Acer palmatum 'Samidare', in the interest of simplification, it wouldn't kill me; but I sure don't want to. It is yet another green cultivar, sturdy like many others I have described, but it too has its unique qualities. Leaves are large and broad, and appear light pink in early spring, then turn to green in summer. Fall color is purple, but often with gold and red mixed in. Its name means "early spring rain" in Japanese, but for reasons that I cannot fathom.

Acer palmatum 'Shojo nomura'

Acer palmatum 'Shojo nomura'

Acer palmatum 'Nuresagi'

Acer palmatum 'Red Emperor'

Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'

Acer palmatum 'Shojo nomura' is another cultivar that has fallen out of favor. The photos above will hopefully cause you to ask why. The same is true with Acer palmatum 'Nuresagi', which I can't tell apart without their labels. Both are purple-red uprights. Both were once popular, but they have been surpassed (though not necessarily in quality) by Acer palmatum 'Red Emperor'. We still grow a few 'Bloodgood', but only one percent as many as in our heyday. The 'Bloodgood' decline for us was due to a serious glut in the market, where every nursery amped up production to an obscene level. Though the quality is generally poor, you can now purchase a full 'Bloodgood' at seven feet tall at the box stores for $35.00. Frequently they are sloppy balled and burlapped trees with plastic orange twine (that will eventually girdle the tree), slammed into five gallon pots. On the first hot day the trees will burn for lack of water, and no more will sell; and the grower won't get paid, hard feelings will ensue, but the Box always wins, and the dumb-ass grower will be replaced by yet another dumb-ass. I'm not ranting because I'm not in that game. Interestingly, we could barely sell our 'Bloodgoods' from 2009 to 2011, but in 2012 we totally sold out. Now we have very few coming along, while there could possibly be a significant shortage for the future.

All of the maples discussed have their qualities, whether or not anyone ever buys them anymore. And I should admit that even if I can't sell many, perhaps someone else can. I just give you my rant...er, experience. For me, these maples are friends; not best friends, but still good friends. And as long as I'm allowed to keep my land and grow my trees, they will all remain part of Buchholz Nursery, part of my Flora Wonder.

"These are wonderful trees, Talon, quit worrying so much about selling them."

Loads of Fun

I began today's blog (a few days ago) with the theme being our specimen availability, and the process of allocating and maintaining the inventory. Basically: relationship tips for our customers. Boring, right? So I dropped it. Anyway, most of you readers are not customers, and I suspect the majority of you just look at the pictures and don't read a word. I half-seriously asked Seth, my blog go-to-guy, what I should choose for a subject, if there was something he would like to see. "Oh, I don't know," he replied, "just something that's fun. That's all anyone really wants anyway."

Another Buchholz Greek lesson

So, just the fun, then. Funny fun, maybe with some jokes? Educational fun, where you might learn something? Frivolous fun perhaps? Seth revealed that he's a little tired of Greek and Latin lessons, which is important for me to know, as Seth is college educated – I didn't graduate – with an IQ twice that of mine. But what about his sense of fun, how well developed is that? He is paid from 7:30 until 4:30, so he is obligated to at least chuckle at my jokes during that time period, but maybe he groans thereafter.

The original Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Miss Grace'

Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost'

Acer palmatum 'Shogun'

Fun. I've even used the "F" word myself, when I previously bragged that "you can have more fun at Buchholz Nursery than at any other wholesale nursery." Well, speaking of groans, maybe some of you expletivated at that statement, but nobody came forth with a challenge. So, what is it that makes it so fun here? Let's start first with the ambiance. The display gardens are what you first notice when you arrive on the property. We try our best to camouflage the greenhouses and production areas with gardens. Every plant has a label, so visitors can wander on their own. In hindsight I wish that every label would also indicate the age of the plant, because when I tour the grounds with others many are amazed that some of the dwarves and miniatures are so old. The gardens also contain the largest or most old of many cultivars. Our introduction of Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Miss Grace' would be one such plant. The original Acer palmatum 'Purple Ghost' is in the oldest display garden, as is the original Acer palmatum 'Shogun'.

Acer circinatum 'Sunglow'

Acer circinatum 'Sunglow'

Pinus bungeana 'Temple Gem'

Pinus bungeana 'Temple Gem'

Our Short Road garden features the original Acer circinatum 'Sunglow', and every spring day it throbs with color. It is planted in full sun, and I admit that it looks horrible now, and we anxiously await for real autumn color to arrive. A few steps away from the "Vine Maple" is our introduction of Pinus bungeana 'Temple Gem'. This is the first and largest in the world, and I always find the bark apeeling. 'Temple Gem' is not dwarf, but rather "compact," growing about one-third the rate of the type, which is good...as it is in a space-challenged garden.

Picea breweriana 'Emerald Midget'

Also in the Short Road section is the first Picea breweriana 'Emerald Midget'. The "midget" has now grown to eight feet tall, but it is also thirty two years old. This tree has a dense pyramidal habit, with shoots growing erect. Silver-gray is the overall color, as you can always see the silvery stomatal bands, which on a normal "Brewer's Spruce" are present on the needles' undersides. I'm humored by a few European nurserymen who are certain that my species identification is incorrect, that 'Emerald Midget' is really a dwarf form of "Serbian Spruce," Picea omorika. But look closely at the buds, boys, and you will see it is clearly a breweriana. I don't know why the Hillier's Manual of Trees and Shrubs consistently misspells breweriana as brewerana, when Hillier seems to be correct on everything else. Hillier also claims that the "Brewer's Spruce" is a "rare tree in the wild state." It's not remarkably common, true, but it certainly is not rare. It was thought to be rare when first discovered, but many stands of it have been found in southern Oregon and northern California

Ilex serrata 'Koshobai'

A cute addition to the Short Road is Ilex serrata 'Koshobai', a dwarf bush with tiny green leaves. The cultivar name is Japanese for "peppercorn," as the miniature berries are barely larger than the period at the end of this sentence. They are borne in profusion, but are not noticeable until they begin to turn red (which is now occurring). Visitors are amazed that a knee-high plant appears to be sparkling with a thousand fruits. The best thing about 'Koshobai' is that it is cleistogamous, meaning flowers that are self-pollinating, and set fertile seed without the flower opening. In other words, it doesn't need a male pollinator to produce berries. So it's a cheap date, then, and the berries will persist throughout the winter, and the birds seek a larger meal it seems.

Ginkgo ball

Ginkgo ball

Tobey and Jayne Chadsey

The perfect complement to the Short Road plants is a beautiful metal sculpture, a Ginkgo ball. This was crafted by Tobey Chadsey, the former owner of Meadowcroft Farm in Oregon. He recently retired from the nursery business, on a high note, to move to Pennsylvania to pursue his metalwork passion. We will miss Tobey and wife Jayne very much, but the wonderful Ginkgo ball is a reminder of our friendship, besides being a superb work of craftsmanship.

Acer palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa'

Acer palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa'

Acer palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa'

I'll mention a final plant in this Short Road garden: our enormous Acer palmatum 'Mikawa yatsubusa'. Fortunately no truck driver has smashed into it yet – they have creamed other trees, though – and it is the largest 'Mikawa' specimen I have ever seen. Japan's Masayoshi Yano, author of Book for Maples, has never seen one as large in Japan, nor has anyone from Europe either. I'm asked every few years if it is for sale; and the answer is yes, but you must also buy the entire nursery (which is always for sale). Once an arrogant hairy-brow New Jerseyman thought it was alright to roam the nursery and flag everything he was interested in. The Neanderthal attached a five-foot orange flagging tape to the tree. When I saw that later in the day, I had made – or rather, he had made – a new enemy. The temerity of the goon!

Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiralis'

Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiralis'

Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Aurea'

Tsuga heterophylla 'Iron Springs'

Are we still having fun? I enjoy walking under specimens of slow-growing, or supposedly dwarf trees. Cryptomeria japonica 'Spiralis' is presumed by many to be dwarf, but not so, and I am now staring out the office window at my 30-foot plus tree. I get a kick out of another "dwarf," Cryptomeria japonica 'Elegans Aurea', which is stupidly named, as the foliage is bright green, not yellow, throughout the year. The crew likes to eat lunch under it, for every laborer's back has a trunk to lean against. This old specimen features tan-colored trunks which exfoliate in strips. Another false dwarf is Tsuga heterophylla 'Iron Springs', an upright with an irregular habit. This "Western Hemlock" was found near Iron Springs, a resort on the Pacific coast of Washington state by Mrs. Blogg of Seattle. Blogg. My God, what a name; she probably hated it. Mrs. Blogg gave the original to the University of Washington Arboretum in 1969, but I've never seen it there on my numerous visits.

Tsuga canadensis 'Little Joe'

John Mitsch

Other fun hemlocks are the diminutive Tsuga canadensis 'Little Joe' and Tsuga canadensis 'Minuta'. 'Little Joe' has the smaller leaves of the two, and Swartley, author of Cultivated Hemlocks, wrote (in 1984) that it is "one of the smallest clones known." And that "at 20 years a plant on the Mitsch Nursery, Aurora, Oregon is 6 inches high and 10 inches across." My original was given to me by the generous John Mitsch about twenty five years ago, and was planted in the lush lath house in the original Display Garden. It is happy as ever there, and has even assumed an upright habit, and is now possibly of greater size than the Mitsch runt, in spite of Mitsch's decades head start.

Tsuga canadensis 'Minuta'

Tsuga canadensis 'Betty Rose'

Tsuga canadensis 'Betty Rose'

So far Tsuga canadensis 'Minuta' grows into a flat-bun shape, and a ten-year-old will be approximately six inches tall by ten inches wide. Even more fun is the variegated miniature, Tsuga canadensis 'Betty Rose'. This is planted under the shade of a Stewartia tree , so it too has grown upright. This specimen, now at seven feet tall, is probably the most lovely of any conifer in my collection. Is my tree now the largest in existence? The original was discovered in Maine by Mr. Francis Heckman of Pennsylvania. But who is/was Betty Rose – his wife, daughter or girlfriend? 'Betty Rose' is particularly attractive in our pumice planters and alpine troughs.

Pumice Garden

Juniperus horizontalis 'Golden Wiltonii'

Pinus contorta 'Chief Joseph'

And that brings up another reason why Buchholz is a fun nursery: our products, our imaginative creations. I can't take credit for all of them; it is really a collaborative effort to dream up ideas to promote our nursery and livelihoods, an attempt to supply what no one else has, or has yet imagined. Concerning our pumice stones and gardens, many customers who visit actually shop rock, as much as the plant in them, for the stones are about 35,000 years old, and no two are alike.

QT Pots

QT Pots

Abies koreana 'Cis'

Abies koreana 'Cis'

Abies koreana 'Ice Breaker'

Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'

Acer palmatum 'Emerald Lace'

Acer palmatum 'Emerald Lace'

Acer palmatum 'Mikazuki'

Our "QT" plant program is second to none, meaning that the plants we offer in these cute 4" round pots are more high-end than those of the competition. We don't foist cheap Chamaecyparis pisiferas, or lawsonianas that will eventually die on their own roots. And who really wants another Euonymus? Abies balsamea 'Nana'? – C'mon, that was popular and impressive 100 years ago, and we have better Abies dwarves today. For example, Abies koreana 'Cis' or 'Ice Breaker'. Also, our "QT's" feature Japanese maples at low prices. Who else offers Acer palmatums 'Orange Dream', 'Emerald Lace', 'Mikazuki' etc. for less than five bucks? In addition, we customize to select plants that are hardy and known to perform in your gardening area.

Acer palmatum seedling

Acer palmatum seedling

Acer palmatum seedling

Acer palmatum 'Seedling'

A phenomenal treat is to wander into GH15 where half the house is devoted to maple seedlings from named cultivars. The best times are in May, then again in August, and the fresh new growth will dazzle you with color. I am particular to the reticulates, and after all, I am the "Ghost Guy." The older seedlings are planted in the "real world" at Flora Farm in full sun where they can thrive or burn or die.

I will acknowledge that some visitors are humorless and find nothing fun at Buchholz Nursery. Many come just to buy our "different stuff," sometimes when they are unable to even pronounce the plant's name. One employee from a national brokerage firm called to arrange a visit for later in the day, that perhaps we could do business together. I was in the field when he arrived, and just needed thirty seconds to finish my project, then I would go to introduce myself. He took about twenty steps toward our box area, did a panoramic gawk, then got back in his car and left. So clearly he didn't have any fun and we never heard from him further, the turd.

Seth formulating the blog

I am the employee who has the most fun at Buchholz Nursery, unless it be Seth. He would probably come to work for the happiness only, even without pay, but I don't want to test that theory.