California Gardening: New nursery find for japanese maples in Los Gatos, 0 by doss

doss wrote:
I've given up on clematis from nurseries. I only buy from Chalk Hill and Joy Creek right now. Much better selection and I find that they do better in the ground.
Just started a Negritianka and a duchess of albany and they are doing great. You won't find them at a local nursery.

Roger Reynolds nursery in Atherton has over 75 kinds of A. Palmatum. They will special order. Be sure to call ahead though and make sure David is there. No one else knows about the maples. He sort of looks like one, he's been working with them there so long. Knows a lot, very opinionated, great personality. It's worth going just to meet him.

The Dancing Peacock is pretty old and very big. I've kept mine to about 7 feet, but I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to do that. Much easier to keep in control than say a sangu kaku. Beautiful trees though. Has one drawback which I think is sort of significant. It doesn't drop it's leaves. You have to take them off by hand. It's a pain. Either that or live with dead old leaves all over the tree. They do fall off in spring when the new foliage comes out. I don't know if Aureum does that. Dancing Peacock is supposed to be a lot easier to grow though. I'm sure glad that I have mine. I've had it in this spot for about 20 years.