trees for an autumn garden - Maple
introduction
When strolling parks and gardens during the autumn months we can see that there is a particular tree that clearly stands out – a maple tree.
Cherished for its brilliant autumn colour, maple trees make a fantastic addition to any garden design.
The maple tree’s leaves have an elegant, hand-shaped arrangement of five or more pointed lobes, that change colour as the season progresses.
This makes them an ideal element of a garden design adding to your planting design much more dynamic.
Many maples should be appreciated not only for their foliage, but for their coloured and textured bark that makes a stunning focal point in a winter garden.
Maples in Japanese garden design
Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, Kyoto, a single Acer tree as a main feature, underplanted with evergreen azalea and camellia shrubs, picture from
'The Japanese Garden' by Sophie Walker
Maples are often seen in many Japanese gardens, where the Acer palmatum variety is especially treasured. This type of maple tree is native to the mountains and grows best under bigger trees and shrubs, or on the shady side of deep wooded valleys.
The maples seen in Japanese valleys symbolise the melancholy beauty of the fading of the year and are admired by many Japanese people during Momijigari, an autumnal tradition when people travel to view these attractive trees, when their foliage has transformed into a sea of stunning red tones.
Japanese maple is celebrated for its autumn colour as much as the cherry blossom is celebrated in spring.
In a Japanese garden, the colour that the maple provides, is especially important as most Japanese gardens are devoid of flowers.
examples of cultivars
Maple cultivars suitable for the small gardens are those derived from already mentioned Acer palmatum and they are readily available in the UK.
This maple needs a sheltered position and moist, fertile soil that doesn’t get waterlogged.
One of the cultivars that is worth considering when designing your garden is Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’. This maple will change its foliage colour as the season progresses – starting with orange, then maturing to pale green and when autumn comes, its leaves change to a striking golden yellow.
Moreover, its pink bark will be a stand out feature later in the season, as the stems and bark turn vibrant coral when the cold weather arrives.
Acer palmatum var. dissectum
Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ is a cultivar with elegant burgundy-coloured leaves. The foliage of this maple stays same through the summer but in the autumn it turns into crimson. It is one of the best purple-leaved Japanese maples. It is a great maple variety that suits a small space and will add a beautiful foliage contrast to any garden planting design.
Maples in containers
Maples don’t have an aggressive root system, so they can be easily planted with other shrubs and trees.
Pair your maple with some evergreens, this simple trick will make the maple a more prominent feature, especially in autumn and winter, enhancing the overall garden design.
As maples don’t develop very deep roots, they are ideal for growing in containers, especially the varieties that are slow growing. This means that you don’t have to repot them or do any root pruning for many years.
However, when you grow your maples in containers it is important to make sure you water them regularly.
conclusion
Maples make a fantastic addition to any garden design. They not only provide year-round interest in your planting design, but are also a low maintenance plants that are good at adapting to varied conditions.
There are so many maple cultivars available that the key problem with maples is deciding which ones to choose to really enhance your garden design.