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Sitting Serenely
Japanese Maple
Red Flowering Currant
Japanese Maple

Common name:Japanese Maple
Botanical name:Acer palmatum

This magnificent plant can used as a small tree or shrub. It is deciduous with graceful leaves which have a scarlet color in spring as it leafs out. They turn orange or yellow in fall. It is slow growing to 20', and requires shelter from hot winds. The leaves of this tree are small, light green in color, and deply lobed. It should also be noted that the tree remains spectacular throughout all seasons. Second picture by Steve Mullany.

Red Flowering Currant

Common name:Red Flowering Currant
Botanical name:Ribes sanguineum

Upright, multibranched deciduous shrub with medium green maple shaped leaves. The rose-red flowers appear in clusters in mid-winter offering winter color for the garden, and food for hummingbirds. Can tolerate some shade on the coast, and needs shade in warm inland areas. Makes a wonderful backdrop in a woodland garden, foundation shrub, or an informal hedge.

Designer:

Sitting Serenely

Photographer: GardenSoft

Soils and Compost:

Practice grass-cycling by leaving short grass clippings on lawns after mowing, so that nutrients and organic matter are returned to the soil.

Water Saving Tip:

Learn how to use the various features of your irrigation controller.

If you’ve lost the instruction manual for your irrigation timer, find and download a replacement from the Internet.

Integrated Pest Management:

Drip and other smart irrigation delivers water directly to roots, allowing no excess water for weeds.