I like our Japanese maple even in December

This morning we had the first rain in the month of December. It wasn’t much, but it provided some relief from the early winter drought we’ve been experiencing. What the rain did do was add a touch of magic to garden. While mid-December isn’t the most attractive time of year by any stretch of the imagination, I couldn’t help but admire the quiet beauty of the Japanese maple planted right outside the family room slider. It isn’t a fancy cultivar, just an all-green upright Acer palmatum, but I’m very fond of it.

This is what it looked like back in mid-March…

 

 

…and this is what it looks like today. They color of the leaves complements the color of our house, doesn’t it?

 

 

Even on the concrete walkway the maple leaves look good…

 

…and on the children’s picnic table they form the pattern in an autumnal tapestry.

 

For most of the year I was so focused on bamboos and succulents that I neglected to pay much attention to this humble tree, but it certainly brightened my day today.