In the Trees

As a group, the Japanese Maples are my most precious and favorite residents in the garden. Seeing a well-shaped Japanese Maple brings me back to my days in Japan where everybody, it seemed, had a beautiful maple, even if a bonsai one. Of course, the most amazing and awe-inspiring  maples I encountered were in the world-renowned public gardens of Kyoto and “my neighborhood” garden, Sankei-en in Yokohama.

I had no idea there were so many cultivars until I started doing some research for my first maple:

Acer palmatum “Osakazuki”

There are literally thousands, with many more being introduced each year. As luck would have it, Japanese Maples grow very well in the omnipresent shade of my garden. All the cultivars I’ve planted have thrived with minimal care; my biggest task is to keep them artfully shaped.

Acer palmatum “Bloodgood”

At most, I’m an advanced beginner when it comes to pruning and shaping. A few years back, I took a hands-on, highly informative class in January (brrrr) at the Portland Japanese Gardens. That’s where I picked up some basic information and skills:

• Remove dead and diseased wood first.
• Selectively remove overlapping branches that might rub against each other and break off in a wind storm. (Lie down under the tree to really see the tree structure. You can easily identify the overlapping branches while recumbent; you’ll also give the neighbors something else to talk about )
• Observe the main trunk and structure of the tree.
• Identify the natural beauty of the tree and enhance it.
• Don’t be afraid to reveal the tree trunk; a uniquely twisted trunk may be a tree’s main asset.
• Err on the side of caution. You can always take off more later; you can’t reattach.

I like to lightly prune and shape once or twice a year, in the late Winter and early Summer, when the trees have leafed out. Since I’m still not overly confident about my abilities, the pruning/shaping may be done over a few sessions, when I’ve had time to observe the impact of my work from many different angles, including inside the house.

When I’m feeling relaxed and at peace with the world, I grab my Felco pruners, a collapsible canvas bin, and a bucket of weak bleach solution and head off into the garden to prune/shape. (The weak bleach solution is to clean the pruner blades and prevent the spread of disease between cultivars, if  pruning more than one tree at a time.)

It’s a very peaceful process. Snip, stand back, snip again, until I get the effect I’m after. Then it’s on to the next one.