Plant in Spotlight - Japanese Maple

This is one of our favorite plants at Planting the Seed.

The Japanese maple undergoes one of the most brilliant color changes in the fall and it's one of our most recommended trees. In fact, the leaves are so beautiful, that when they fall you won't even want to rake them up!

The Japanese Maple is a staple in Japanese gardens around the world. Here's one from a local Japanese garden.

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

(This image is from our post on the Japanese Garden in Mobile, Alabama)

This tree, Acer palmatum, is native to Japan, China, parts of Russia and Mongolia, as well as North and South Korea. They grow up to about 30 ft in height, but can, in rare cases, reach 52 ft.

Kingdom:               Plantae
Phylum:           Angiospermae
(unranked):                Eudicots
(unranked):                   Rosids
Order:              Sapindales
Family:        Sapindaceae[1]
Genus:                         Acer
Species:            A. palmatum

Apart for their gorgeous color, the smaller Japanese maples tend to grow in a dome form, so, if space isn't an issue, pruning is unnecessary.

from theindoorbonsaitree.com

Did you know you can even grow it as a bonsai?

from bonsai-made-easy.com

If you love the Japanese Maple, but don't have one, now is a great time to get on in the ground! Visit our About Us Page to ask us what you need to do to get this going and growing in your yard!




Do you have a favorite picture of a Japanese Magnolia? If so, we'd love to see it. Share it on our Facebook page, G+, or Twitter!

Second Chance - Ohanami! (And Japanese Garden Pictures!)

If you missed out on the UWF Cherry Blossom Festival, that's ok! Mobile's Charles Wood Japanese Garden 

is having its own Cherry Blossom Festival!

Sunday April 15, 2012  11:00 am ~ 3:00 pm

Joint fund-raiser by:

Japanese Garden Foundation & Mobile Ichihara Sister City Association

Activities: 

Serving hot and cold Japanese tea 

Portraits

Japanese Goodies

Used Japanese Comic Books (Manga)

Bonsai Lecture by Master Joe Day

Ohanami Lecture by Kaoru Oka, MISCA Secretary

Speech by Charles Wood

(scroll down for the pictures)

Sorry about the blurry picture! All the information is above. 

View Larger Map




For your viewing pleasure, here are some photographs of the Japanese garden. It's a great place to take the family for an outing (especially a picnic).

Japanese Magnolia

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

An aisle of cherry blossom trees.

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

This is what we came to see!

Photography by Brandon McLeod

 Koi!

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

A great place for a picnic.

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

One of the several viewing ponds. 

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Sakura

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Cherry Blossoms

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

The Rock Garden. 

Photography by Brandon McLeod

In Japanese Gardens, the rocks aren't "placed", they're "planted". 

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Photography by Brandon McLeod

Ohanami - Japanese Cherry Blossom Viewing : UWF Cherry Blossom Festival

Ohanami (Oh-ha-na-me) is the yearly Japanese tradition of having a picnic underneath the beautiful and short-lived sakura (Cherry Blossom Tree). These beautiful plants bloom only for a short period in the spring and are known for their sudden appearance, quick departure, and breathtaking flowers.

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

The University of West Florida is having a Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri) on Friday March 30, 2012 starting at 1:30 in the afternoon. For more information contact the UWF Japan Center at 850-474-3363 or email japan@uwf.edu.

Feature speakers include:  UWF President Dr. Judith Bense, CEO and President of Florida House on Capitol Hill Bard Hudson, Congressman Jeff Miller, Florida Secretary of State Kenneth Detzner, Consul General Eiichi Kawahara, Secretary of Florida Lottery Cynthia O'Connell, Mayor of Pensacola Ashton Hayward.

Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this. Take the family along and have a nice picnic under a soft pink canopy.

If you can't make it to the UWF Cherry Blossom Festival, be sure to head over to Mobile's Charles Wood Japanese Garden before it's too late!

Charles Wood Japanese Garden

You've heard us mention it; well, recently, we met up with Mr. Charles Wood, the visionary behind the aptly named Charles Wood Japanese Garden in Mobile, Alabama.  

Melanie Lobel (PTS, on left) and Charles Wood (on right)

Japanese Magnolia

Two of Mobile's happiest gardeners.

History of the Charles Wood Japanese Garden (from their website)

     "The Mobile Japanese Garden is the brain child of Mr. Charles Wood. A student of various forms of painting, Mr. Wood became interested in the ancient art of Sumi-e, a Japanese art form based on wash painting pioneered by the Chinese during the Tang Dynasty.

     Mr. Wood's interests in Sumi-e piqued his interest in Japanse culture. As a result he became interested in Japanese gardens. In a chance opportunity with one of his wife's garden club meetings, he suggested that Mobile would do well to have a traditional Japanese garden for people to enjoy. As it turned out, the association to which his wife belonged had leased a large piece of property from the city. Their needs were modest compared to the size of the property so the director of the association suggested that Mr. Wood could lease approximately fourteen acres of the property. Coincidentally, the property had been a fishery that was designed and managed by a Japanese-American.

     Mr. Wood immediately fell in love with the property and his vision for a Japanese Garden was born."

The Japanese Garden is located on Forest Hill Drive (Near Municipal "Langan" Park). 

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PT (C) - Planting the Community - No Garden, No Problem

Not everyone has the time to take care of a beautiful or productive garden.

If that's the case for you, then all you have to do to get your fix is visit local garden.

In Mobile, Alabama, for example, there are several great gardens you can visit.

• Mobile Botanical Gardens:  5151 Museum Drive, Mobile, AL 36689 "100 acres of native and exotic azaleas, camellias, hollies, magnolias, roses and ferns." Free Admission.
• Charles Wood Japanese Garden: 700 Forest Hill Drive, Mobile AL 36618
  "We are a not for profit organization that seeks to fulfill the vision of Mr. Charles Wood to create an authentic Japanese Garden in Mobile, AL. Mr. Wood has vigorously pursued his vision for the past fourteen years through significant sweat equity and the gracious contributions of individuals and governmental agencies alike." Free Admission.
• Bellingrath Gardens and Home:  12401 Bellingrath Gardens Road, Theodore, AL 36582
  "Bellingrath Gardens and Home was the creation of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bellingrath.  The Gardens first opened to the public in 1932 while a national garden club meeting was taking place in Mobile." Admission (Garden Only): Adult $12.00; Children: (Ages 5 - 12) $6.50; Children Under 5: Free.

So, if you don't have the time or tools to make a garden of your own, don't fret. There are beautiful gardens that you can enjoy year-round.