We finished installing the trees and vines in the beds at the base of the new trellis yesterday, and now I am praying that we don’t have a hard freeze tonight or tomorrow night. That would be unfortunate. We don’t usually get hard freezes here after March 15, so it would be kind of unusual, but the weather has become reliably unpredictable the past few years. I’m thinking about wrapping the vines and small trees in row cover just in case.
The crown jewel of the courtyard area was purchased yesterday for my birthday. It is a coral bark Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sangokaku’). I am so excited about this acquisition that I can hardly contain myself. Forgive me for indulging in including so many views of this tree, but I couldn’t resist. It is so beautiful. The bark on the new limbs has a rosy blush to it that will turn crimson in the winter, and the new leaves are lime green with red margins that will turn gold in the fall, giving this tree true four season interest.
The tree is being incorporated into the grotto area by surrounding it with stones that will blend into the stone pool and waterfall that we will be building in the corner of the grotto, nestled under the maple.
Coral Bark Japanese Maple Viewed From West
Coral Bark Japanese Maple Viewed From the Courtyard
Coral Bark Japanese Maple Viewed From South
The addition of the maple and the rocks to the grotto area has really enhanced the grotto seating area.
View of the Grotto Area
The planting bed at the east end of the trellis had a severe level change from the west to east end of the bed that I decided to address using native rocks to create level tiers. I thought the native rocks would tie the east trellis bed in with the grotto and stone work at the west end of the trellis.
Rock Work in East Trellis Bed
All of the newly installed trees and vines are putting out lots of new growth and show no signs of transplant shock at all. Forty mph winds and near freezing temperatures tonight may have a negative impact though.
Crossvines Frame the Stairwell to the Lower Gardens
16 Comments To "Trellis Bed Tree and Vine Planting Completed"
#1 Comment By Diana On March 27, 2009 @ 2:11 pm
How pretty – you’ll have to keep posting the progress of your maple. They are truly amazing, aren’t they? I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you don’t get a hard freeze. I will be out with sheets and towels for the tropical pots and veggies as we are forecasted to get 39 and that’s a bit chillier than they’d like.
#2 Comment By Carol On March 27, 2009 @ 3:25 pm
Hi Diana – I have been wanting a Japanese maple for years & this is my first. I’m really excited to finally have one, and my husband picked a really neat type. Rest assured that postings will continue.
Best of luck with the cold weather this weekend & the darn wind. I’m glad I held off moving our big ficus tree out. He would have gone into major shock.
#3 Comment By Kathy Green On March 27, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
The trellis gardens look fantastic, and I am sure that all the vines and trees you picked out will grow wonderfully up the posts. I wish I had enough sun to need a trellis – yours looks so well made, and I am jealous. The color of the stone walls is also very nice – it blends well with the wood and the color of mulch you have chosen. Did you seal it with anything, or will it weather to a more silver gray?
#4 Comment By Carol On March 27, 2009 @ 6:28 pm
Hey Kathy – thanks so much for the kind words. My husband the landscaper built the wall and the trellis. How lucky I am! He really did a great job. The trellis is cedar, and we will let it weather to silver gray.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I’m off to visit your blog now.
Carol
#5 Comment By Sunita On March 28, 2009 @ 9:09 am
Carol, this is fantastic! I wish I had one too. And yes, the Japanese Maple is gorgeous! I wonder whether it’ll grow here in Mumbai?
What wood have you used for the trellis? I dont dare use wood outdoors. We’ve got termites with a mammoth-sized appetite 😛
#6 Comment By Carol On March 28, 2009 @ 9:19 am
Hi Sunita – so nice to hear from you! From the look of your garden in Mumbai, everything grows there wonderfully!! I’m sure you could grow this specimen there.
The trellis is constructed out of red cedar. It is organically approved (not treated with any chemicals), extremely weather resistant, and termites hate it. In fact, probably 60% of my house is constructed out of Texas native red cedar. We do have some issues with carpenter ants, but not so much with termites.
Cheers – Carol
#7 Comment By Helen – patientgardener On March 28, 2009 @ 11:39 am
It is looking fantastic – I am so jealous. What have you used to mulch the plants in the last photos?
#8 Comment By Carol On March 28, 2009 @ 12:59 pm
Hi Helen – glad you like what we are doing. I love positive reinforcement. The mulch is pine needle mulch. Pine needles are plentiful in the eastern part of Texas. They are slow to decompose, and are acidic which helps to balance the high alkalinity of our limestone based soil.
Thanks for stopping by!
Carol
#9 Comment By Lori On April 16, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
This is going to become such a cool, refreshing place to sit in the summer! And the maple is a highlight, indeed.
#10 Comment By Carol On April 16, 2009 @ 6:17 pm
Hi Lori – this spot always has a nice breeze during the summer months, so with the shade, plants, and water (soon to come), I am hoping that it will provide a comfortable place to sit outside and enjoy the courtyard. I’m pretty excited about my first Japanese maple. I know I will want more in the future.
See ya – Carol
#11 Comment By Laura On May 5, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
Carol,
We just bought a tiny coral bark Japanese Maple. I love yours and I love mine too. The way you put that in looks great. Thanks for showing us your beautiful new maple. I hope ours grows fast, so far so good.
Laura
#12 Comment By Carol On May 5, 2009 @ 4:05 pm
Hi Laura – hope you are as happy with your new Japanese maple as I am with mine. it is truly a beautiful specimen tree. – Carol
#13 Comment By Terry On May 27, 2009 @ 1:25 pm
Out standing trellis arrangement. I must incorporate this into my back yard rock garden in Arkansas. I look at your pictures every day, i’m so thrilled with the design. WOW Please keep posting updated pics as it grows.
#14 Comment By Carol On May 27, 2009 @ 7:06 pm
Thanks for the compliment Terry. I am so glad that you find our design inspiring. The retaining wall and trellis project is my most successful thus far. Good luck with your landscaping projects! – Carol
#15 Comment By Kelly On April 8, 2011 @ 5:19 pm
This is just beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing! This design gave me much needed inspiration on how to design a patio for a steep berm and a slope. I’m so glad to have found this! It’s like a design for that troubled spot in my yard just immediately formed in my head after seeing your lovely place. My kids call that an “Ah-ha!” moment. 😉
#16 Comment By Carol On April 8, 2011 @ 5:48 pm
Hi Kelly, thanks for letting me know that my design helped you solve a problem that you were wrestling with. I can’t tell you how many hours it took me to come up with this solution to our sloping yard, but I can tell you that this design really works for us! I hope your design will bring you much joy and pleasure.
Thanks again for your wonderful comment!
Carol