Maple Fest - some 10 days later...

by aleks

SJG • 10/22/13 - lace-leaf maple, leaf up-close

We showed the film 'Dream window' today in Tateuchi Community Room, to a very enthusiastic audience of guides. The film non-commitee is considering showing it at least once a year from now on, as it should probably be a 'required viewing' for all who guide in the Japanese Gardens  - not very many new guides had time to attend today, so we will try to reach them later with this.

The Maple Fest is continuing:  below some pics from last Tuesday:

SJG • 10/22/13 - our very old (past 100 years) lace-leaf maple, finally almost red

SJG • 10/22/13 - The Tea House Garden, seen from across the pond

SJG • 10/22/13 - Kathleen Smith beloved fern maple at ZZW
I didn't know it fades so fast: mere 10 days from  green to red, to fall on the ground...

SJG • 10/22/13 - Look at the Omato: it is all red, RED now!
Just a few posts below it was merely brownish...

SJG • 10/22/13 - don't even know what to call it.  Just out of this world. 

Maple Fest

by aleks
Maple Fest started October 13th, Sunday, this year, and is still going on:  16 maples have  tags, so you can learn their proper names, this time of the year only, as it is very un-Japanese to label plants in the Garden.  Due to the east coast travels I missed the show opening, but Allan Seidenverg kindly sent these photos taken by Paula last Sunday:

SJG •10/13/13 - Maple Fest celebration; photo by Paula

SJG •10/13/13 - Maple Fest celebration; photo by Paula

SJG •10/13/13 - Maple Fest celebration; photo by Paula

Today I went and photographed the maples as they are, now when the show is 10 days in progress:  some maples are still stubbornly not turning, like the habitually late in season shishigashira, some progressed to crimson red, like omato and osakazuki, and some are almost gone, like circinatum and full moon - pretty soon I'll post some of them here, and file ALL of them on the bloom blog (URL in the left column).

In the meantime, and for the contrast, maple turning on the east coast:

10/17/13 - leaves turning in Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.
Locals noted it is unusually orangey this year.

REMINDER:  Film 'Dream window' about gardens of Japan, this Thursday, 10/24/13 at 1 pm in Tateuchi Room - everybody welcome.

a few PSAs

by aleks

1.) Very sadly, our very loved and esteemed fellow guide, Mary Ann Wiley, is no longer with us. Her obituary is here....

SJG • 10/4/13 - Guides learning about maples from the Plant Committee;
here on the North Path, by the  Acer Palmatum 'shishigashira' or Lion's Mane Maple
(the last to turn its leaves in our season)

2.)  For everyone: Maple Fest is coming this Sunday, October 13; sixteen prominent maples will be labeled, and stay that way, till there are any leaves left on them this fall.  I'll be traveling to the east coast on the day of the Maple Fest and miss it, but perhaps some fellow bloggers would write and share about it here, please? I've been photographing  these maples for several years now, and will shortly include them in the bloom blog = photo album of SJG plants  (URL on the left side of this blog).

SJG • 10/4/13 - Guides learning about maples from the Plant Committee; here by 'Omato', on the East path

3.) For everyone: Our next film showing,  'Dream Window', 1992 - is at 1 pm Thursday, October 24. All interested invited.

4.) For everyone: 4th Annual Photography Workshop−Autumn at the Seattle Japanese Garden
with Ray Pfortner, educator & photographer starts Friday, Oct. 11 & 18, 6:30-9 pm (at Laurelhurst Community Center). Tuition: $220* ($200 for Garden members) Materials: $20. To register, contact Cheryl Brown at 206.386.9106 or cheryl.brown@seattle.gov

5.) For everyone: Tonight a fellow guide, Nat S. and I + our partners went to see 'Vermeer and Music' - streaming from The National Gallery, London, to our American movie theaters - very enjoyable:  to see more about the series check 'Exhibition on screen' here...

SJG • 10/4/13  - and this is just for you, Mary Ann Wiley! A maple turning on ZZW, or so called Service Road.

6.) For guides only: A reminder about our October 19th Fall Meeting (9:30 am start) followed by the Volunteer Luncheon.