Albert's Greenhouse

... and the Japanese maples in my front courtyard are coming out of dormancy. The trident maple ( Acer burgerianum ) has been in leaf for a while, and my little, scrawny Acer pentaphyllum is still barren, but my various clones of Acer palmatum are finally leafing out in a serious way. The new foliage is still shiny, and even more beautifully colored than in the fall.

Named Japanese maples are propagated by grafting onto a seed-grown rootstock, usually also Acer palmatum. I grow several different varieties, mostly those selected for small size and adaptability to pot growth, since I don't have room for a forest in my little city lot.

Some of my best maple finds have been at farmers markets. My somewhat unusual Acer pentaphyllum was found at a market in Los Gatos. I bought my Acer japonicum at the market in Mountain View from a guy who has a hobby of growing maples in his backyard.

The dry air of the summer eventually gets to my maples, and the leaves on some of them will dry out and brown at the edges. For these few weeks and months of spring, however, I can enjoy the bright and fresh new leaves.