Make Maple Magic, Like in Serendipity Gardens

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If you want to plant a tree that attracts and supports wildlife, improves the environment in your yard and pleases people as well, a red maple might be a good choice. The red maple, or acer rubrum, is native to the United States.

The Maples in Serendipity Gardens

Seven maple trees grow in Serendipity Gardens, ranging in size from 5 to 50 feet. We planted only three of the six, and each of those has its story:

  • We purchased a red Japanese maple several years ago that had been pruned to arch out to one side. We planted it at the back of our pond, with the idea that it would arch up and over the pond. It does that, but its growth is so slow that the look we had in mind is hard to see. If I were buying a tree for that spot today, it would not be a Japanese maple, lovely though it is.
  • I purchased a membership to the Arbor Day Foundation and got ten trees of my choice plus a free red maple (an offer you can take advantage of today). That one seems to be growing well. It began its life in Serendipity Gardens as a stick. Today it is about five feet tall.
  • The third maple we planted was a gift from one of our sons-in-law. It is a silver maple, planted in honor of our dog Gina that died. We put her ashes in the planting hole. The tree has grown very quickly and is now about 15 to 20 feet tall. We call it the “Gina tree.”

Of the remaining four maples, one planted itself beside the driveway, and we let it stay. The other three, of at least two different types, were all here as big trees when we came.

My Favorite Maple

Nestle in shadeMy favorite maple is in the backyard, just outside my kitchen window, so I see it most often, and in all seasons. Underneath it, we planted a shade garden that includes snowdrops, hellebores, ferns, hostas, toad lily, and one white phlox, which provides blooms from March through October. In addition, we planted two oak-leaved hydrangeas to accompany two ancient Rose of Sharon shrubs already there. We also placed a swing beneath the tree, which is a favorite place to sit in the garden,  for both people and dogs. From the swing, you can see across the whole garden as well as past the garden fence to the fields beyond.

In spring, the maple is a pink haze from the distance, as it is covered Yellow Maplewith tiny red flowers. When they fall, the ground is pink for awhile. In summer the tree offers a cool respite from the heat. In the fall, it turns a clear, bright yellow with tinges of orange and red. And in the winter, it offers a nice branching structure to look at. I am not absolutely sure this is a red maple, but after looking at the University of Connecticut Plant Database, I think it probably is.

I like to sit in the swing and look up, especially in the spring, but in summer, too, to enjoy the play of light through the branches and leaves of this beautiful tree.

Five Reasons to Plant a Tree (from the Arbor Day Foundation)

  1. Save money. In summer, properly planted trees can cut your air conditioning bills by as much as 15-35%. In winter, they can slow a cold wind and cut your heating bill by 10-20%.
  2. Clean the air. Trees produce the oxygen we breathe, lower the air temperature, add moisture to the atmosphere, and retain particulates.
  3. Bring songbirds and other wildlife to your garden. Animals like trees for many of the same reasons people do. They offer food, shelter, and shade.
  4. Fight global warming. Trees are carbon sinks, which means they hold carbon that would otherwise go into the atmosphere. This is why deforestation is so harmful.
  5. Add beauty to your surroundings. Depending on what you plant, trees can offer seasonal color, spring or summer blooms, berries or seeds in the fall, and winter structure.

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