This is the first time I've had a winter picture with leaves.  These Shantung trees are miniatures that have very small leaves and are still very red and have not lost any leaves since coloring up over 3 weeks ago.  They were outside during cold chilly December weather but were kept in an unheated greenhouse during the couple of nights in the low twenties.  The Shantung in the foreground is 2 years old and has the test name of FDBD #3.   Once again, pure fun.

Taken 1/1/12. 

This picture shows some of my favorite hobby trees.  The red one is a crooked 'Fire Dragon'^® in training for a garden bonsai.  The leaves are half the size and color is late because I pinched-off every leaf in July to control growth.  It turned out a risky maneuver because it had to grow all new leaves with temperatures way over 100 degrees every day.  To the left is an old azalea with very small leaves that I believe is a R. tosaense x Rinpu type.  The background has Shantung and Trident maples and my mom's Fu dog has its jingle bells on.  Flash was used and it helped highlight the foreground as the skies were very overcast.  The camera's landscape setting was used which gave the picture an almost surreal effect.

Taken 12/5/11. 

The worst wind, heat, and drought of all time in Texas in 2011 makes this the historic picture that I am most proud of and will remember forever.  Five straight days and nights of non-stop hot winds howled in June and then it just got worse.  Temperatures averaged 102.7 degrees from June thru August and only .7" of rain fell at Metro Maples.    Yet, even after all that this 6 year old,  non-irrigated 'Fire Dragon'^® , and all 8 other non-irrigated ones, survived in the dry, hot sand and turned red in the fall at a normal time.  The Juniper 'Spartan', on the right, was a cutting I made back in the year 2000, and it, and many common plants thought to be drought tolerant, died.  

Taken 11/28/11. 

There wasn't a good summer picture this year as the severe drought, hot winds, and very high temperatures made just about everything look tired.  Instead, the best picture goes to a close-up of an unfolding 'Fire Dragon'^® Shantung bud taken early spring, in my greenhouse.  

Taken 2/28/10. 

This Satsuki azalea 'Tama no hada' was not fazed by cold weather or the extreme heat when it bloomed.   It has been trained for about 5 years as a cascade style.  When in bloom it is the perfect plant for my Mom's elephant in the Display Garden. The flowers are red and white and 5 inches in diameter.

Taken 3/30/11. 

Mother 'Fire Dragon'^® and one leaning over the water in Tsuki Gardens.  Fall started with excellent temperatures then just as the trees were turning the weather became very hot and windy for 5 days which produced this red-orange color and shortened the display..  (Temperatures were lows of 70 and highs in the 80's).  This picture was taken midday with plenty of wind and sun, with gray skies.

Taken 11/24/10. 

This  picture of my bi-color test plant Shantung grafts was taken at ten in the morning and reveals the orange new growth color turning more pink to red as the temperatures rise in an unusually hot and dry June.

Taken 6/23/10.

This very exciting picture on July 9, 2010 of   'Baby Dragon' Shantung  shows the splendid pink to red summer growth.  While fantastic summer color is easily produced on maples in cooler climates, these small, half-inch size leaves must rival even their best and were produced in Fort Worth after 10 days of rainy weather in July, following one of the hottest and driest June ever.

Taken 7/9/10.

This picture on Mar 14, 2010 of my Bi-color Shantung  shows the exciting orange with yellow mid-veins on the newly unfurling leaves that this new cultivar has produced every spring in its 3-year trial.  A blurred Japanese maple 'Deshojo' is in the background.  Both were kept in my heated greenhouse which explains the early growth.

Taken 3/14/10.

This picture on Nov. 10, 2009 of a  Fire Dragon^® Shantung maple is a most brilliant fall color.  It was the usual red on top but the middle section was a mixture of pink, orange, and yellow.

This midday picture was taken on Sept. 6, 2009 with the camera right up against the trunk four feet up at the start of the main branches of the now 10 year old 'Fire Dragon'^® Shantung maple.

This morning picture is softened by fog on April 28, 2009.  The front of Tsuki Gardens with Aratama, Crimson Queen, Shin deshojo a bronze color, Acer gresieum, Yasemin and 'Fire Dragon'^® centered behind the fence.  Satsuki azalea Baiho is in bloom.  The taller tree left of center is a Paperbark maple just leafing out.

I got lucky getting a good picture of 'Fire Dragon'^® this year because of all the cloudy days and had I stayed home on Sunday morning I would not have been there when the sun came out.

Taken 11/30/08.

Shantung maple test plant and first graft (right), both growing well and holding a nice yellow color in July after 7 weeks of high temperatures!  Maybe not a great picture but it sure was exciting seeing this color on the mother plant and on the first graft that lasted even in the hot Texas sun.  Don't expect me to have enough to began selling this one until 2011.

Taken 7/8/2008.

Shin deshojo busting out with bright red growth with an out-of-focus Orange Dream in background.  

Taken 3/25/2008.

'Fire Dragon'^® Shantung with Ginkgo 'Autumn Gold'.  This color I call red red.

Taken Dec. 2, 2007.

Overview of Metro Maples.  A rare shot with even the native post oaks getting some color after a very unusual rainy year.

Taken Dec. 2, 2007.

Fire Dragon^® maples growing likes weeds from lots of rain.

Taken - Aug. 3, 2007

Huang azalea 1-6-72 #2 with Orange Dream in background.

Taken Mar. 25, 2007.

Several Shantung maples including the first graft of Fire Dragon^® which was taken in 2002 (on right), now just 5 years old.  Arizona cypress Blue Ice and Golden Pyramid are the conifers in the center.