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The Gardens of Mien Ruys - a book review

I don't know how I missed her, but I was totally unfamiliar with Mien Ruys. A beautiful new book The Gardens of Mien Ruys details her life and work. Born in the Netherlands in 1904, she was the daughter of Bonne Ruys, who founded Moerheim Nursery in 1888. She grew up in a liberal atmosphere and encouraged to learn and study. She found great comfort in the natural world around her and learned all the plants in her father's nursery at a young age. After leaving school at the age of 19, she knew that she wanted to work in the garden center. The Moerheim Nursery, in addition to selling plants, had an on-site design studio where they published a detailed catalog and sold landscape design plans to customers. It was in the design studio where Ruys first began to work and she was soon encouraged to venture beyond her country and study abroad. Her father's connections helped her secure a traineeship with Wallace & Sons Nursery in Tunbridge Wells in England. There, she met Gertr...
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Fall Color on Japanese Maples


The fall colors are just incredible this year and during the past week, it looks like the saturation filter has been dramatically increased. 

The most colorful has to be the maples. In the top photo of our front pathway, you can see 'Skeeter's Broom' on the left and 'Sango Kaku' (the Coral Bark maple) on the right. 

I've never seen color on 'Dancing Peacock' (in a pot) like this before -

Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' ('Dancing Peacock')

And 'Golden Full Moon', very small right now, is just getting started -

Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' ('Golden Full Moon')

The color on 'Osakazuki' occurs very late, sometimes too late, but happens overnight - 

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'

And then it changes even more. The upper photo was taken three days ago, the bottom on yesterday - 



'Sango Kaku', better known as the Coral Bark Maple, so called because of the red stem color (on newer stems) -



'Skeeter's Broom' is one of the prettiest maples in front -




'Shaina' is a variety I recommend for tight spots -




'Ryusen' is a weeping variety -




'Ryusen' as seen from the back with the morning sunlight shining through it -




'Beni-Hime'


And finaly, 'Bloodgood', which was already here when we moved in -





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Kris PetersonNovember 7, 2023 at 4:45 PM

    You have a LOT of Japanese maples! They make a gorgeous showing. My 'Sango Kaku' has yet to shown any color whatsoever but it isn't dropping any leaves yet either.

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  2. tz_gardenNovember 8, 2023 at 8:38 AM

    WOW! I can't pick a favorite, what glorious color. What a delight to come home to!

    ReplyDelete
  3. rebeccaNovember 9, 2023 at 11:23 AM

    Your and Michael's garden is just amazing.

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  4. AnonymousNovember 10, 2023 at 8:56 AM

    I love Japanese maples. There's no way to pick a favorite this time of year; they are all stunning in their own way. Didn't you use to grow Acer palmatum 'Geisha Gone Wild'...
    Chavli

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    1. AnonymousNovember 10, 2023 at 1:04 PM

      Yes I do have that one. I moved it from a pot to the ground and it is in way too much shade. I'm going to dig it back up and put it in a pot again so I move it to a better location. The fall color is still pretty good on it. I forgot to photograph it.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousNovember 20, 2023 at 5:40 PM

    Hopefully moving to Vancouver next summer. Your garden has given me such great ideas. I love that you identify the plant names in your videos!

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