The Gardener's Guide to Growing Maples

About this book

Maples are best known for their magnificent foliage colours which light up the autumn garden with vivid greens, yellows, ochres, rusts, oranges and reds. This enormously diverse genus ranges from the popular Japanese maples which are ideal for small gardens to enormous parkland trees and holds a number of extremely rewarding species for gardens of all sizes. The emphasis in this book is on the garden-worthy aspects of each plant although each one of the 125 species is described for the benefit of specialists and enthusiasts. The most recognizable characteristic of maples is the leaf which is lobbed like the palm of a hand but they are also highly regarded for their bark - the snake bark maple has marbling of cream or white on a green or russet background which is reminiscent of the markings on the skin of a python. Maples are on the whole easily grown and very hardy but some require shelter from the wind.

Contents

Introduction 1. Habitat, Classification and Botany 2. The History of Maples 3. Cultivation including open ground, container, feeding, pruning, pests and diseases 4. Propagation including seeds, grafting, layering, cuttings 5. Maples in the Garden including soil types, containers, watering, plant association 6. A-Z of Maples with full descriptions of 125 species and many more cultivars Index

Customer Reviews

Biography

James G. S. Harris owns a specialist maple nursery in Somerset called Mallet Court Nursery from which he sells direct and exports plants all over Europe with particular strong ties with France, Holland, Spain and Italy. He takes stands at all the major horticultural shows including Courson in France. James Harris sits on the Management Committee of the Hillier Gardens and Arboretum as a result of his expert knowledge of maples. He has contributed to specialist books on the subject and written for journals and periodicals.