About AARS

The All-America Rose Selections is a non-profit association of rose growers and introducers dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses. Since 1938 the AARS seal of approval has graced outstanding new rose varieties that have withstood the test of time — and Mother Nature.

AARS operates a nationwide network of 20 official test gardens dedicated to evaluating roses on all of the characteristics consumers desire in a garden plant. Every AARS winning rose completes an extensive two-year trial program in these test gardens located throughout the country and representing all climate zones. New rose varieties in the AARS trials receive only as much care as would be given in the average home garden. This sophisticated evaluation process results in a new crop of AARS winning roses each year, guaranteeing that only the best make it into your garden.

All AARS roses are evaluated on vigor, fragrance, disease resistance, foliage, flower production, growth habit, bud and flower form, opening and finishing color, stem, and overall value.

And the 2005 winners are (hand me the envelope, please):

About Face™	Day Dream™
Elle™	Lady Elsie May™

Click here to see winners from prior years.

All deciduous fruit trees need to be pruned at least once a year for good shape and to bear fruit.  The time to do major pruning is during the winter. The rule of thumb with pruning deciduous fruit trees is to prune while the trees are dormant, after the leaves have fallen to the ground but before new buds have swelled.

Each type of fruit tree needs to be pruned differently, so it's important to know which kind of tree you're pruning and how to prune it properly. For example, apples bear their fruit on spurs that bear again and again, sometimes for as long as twenty years. If you whack off all the spurs you'll have no fruit. However, peaches and nectarines bear their fruit on one-year-old wood. By pruning them hard, you encourage new growth to replenish fruiting wood.

The best shape also differs among types. Apple and pear trees, for instance, do best with a central trunk, with shorter branches at the top, longer ones on the bottom. Peaches and plums do best with an open-center shape (kind of like a bowl).

No two trees, even of the same type, can be pruned exactly alike; basic guidelines will apply differently according to the placement of their branches, their age, and their overall vigor. If you're not an expert, follow a pruning manual (one that contains charts) that applies to your climate and type of tree.

When you buy a fruit tree, ask us for the best pruning method to use for that tree. Pruning a young tree properly to start with will save you a lot of time and effort later.

If you are dealing with a large old tree that has been neglected for some time, keep in mind that it may require several years of pruning to bring it back to where it should be.

Your primary goal is to open the tree so that sunlight can penetrate inside of the foliage during the fruiting season and to shorten the taller limbs to bring the fruit production down to a more manageable height. It is safest to call a professional to do the high work and any large branch removal for you. They have the experience and equipment needed.

Remember after pruning deciduous fruit trees to clean up the ground under the tree and follow up immmediately with dormant spray.

Japanese maples have been in cultivation since the seventh century. Native to Japan and Korea, they constitute some of the world's most beautiful deciduous trees and shrubs. Prized for their unique leaf shapes, from the palmate types to the cut-leaf types, both spring and fall foliage color and their multi-trunked forms, Japanese maples make fine focal points in the landscape.

Slow to moderate growers, upright varieties tend to reach upwards of 20-25 feet tall and wide, and the weeping varieties tend to reach 12-15 feet tall and wide. More dwarf varieties exist as well.

Varieties:

There are over 250 cultivars of Japanese maples. General categories include upright and weeping forms and the palmate, strap-leaved and cut-leaved varieties. Spring color in most varieties is reddish-pink to pink. Summer colors range from burgundy to green to variegations of green, pink and white or cream. Fall colors can be yellow to orange to deep red-orange to red; again, depending on variety.

Landscape Uses:

You can use Japanese maples effectively in front of north and east walls, in entryways and as small lawn trees. They are attractive in groves (like birches) as woodland plantings. For a natural effect, try setting out plants of different sizes with varying spacing. Japanese maples are good as background plants for moisture-loving plants such as ferns and azaleas and alongside ponds. They also make excellent container plants and can be placed on patios or in entryways. It is important to place trees in locations where they will not receive hot sun and strong wind.

Light:

Because we incur scorching summer heat, we generally recommend locating Japanese maples in morning sun. This is especially true of cut-leaf and weeping varieties. The upright varieties, especially the palmate types, however, may withstand afternoon sun, given proper irrigation. During our hottest summers, you may note that the leaves on the periphery of the canopy succumb to leaf scorch, whereby leaves turn brown and eventually drop. The tree will generally re-leaf, but repeated scorch may lead to twig dieback on the top of the canopy. This dieback does not compromise the health of the tree, but may be an aesthetic consideration.

Water:

As understory trees, Japanese maples are accustomed to moist conditions, created by duff on the forest floor and shading from the primary canopy. You should consider mulching with Master Nursery Forest Bark, Gold Rush or Forest Blend to help preserve moisture in the root zone. Mulches should not touch the tree trunk nor be placed within 3-6 inches of the trunk.

Planting & Fertilizing:

Like azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and hydrangeas; Japanese maples prefer well-drained, acidic soils. In order to boost acidity in the soil, use one-third Acid Planting Mix or Planting Mix to two-thirds of your native soil. Mulching after planting and annually with these soil mixes or with the mulches mentioned above will also contribute to soil acidity. Fertilize your maples at the drip line with Camellia, Azalea and Gardenia Food about Memorial Day and Labor Day.

To plant a Japanese maple, dig a hole at least 2 1/2 times the diameter of the root ball and 1 to 2 inches less deep than the height of the root ball. The soil removed from the hole is mixed with Gold Rush one-third the volume of the native soil. Your next step is to backfill with this same mixture and Master Nursery Master Start. Make sure the graft union (if your tree is a named variety) is at least 6 inches above the surface of the soil or that the top of the rootball is slightly above the level of the soil. This will prevent water from pooling around the trunk.

Build a basin around the tree that extends out to the edge of the branches. If your tree is in a burlap bag, you can plant this directly into the ground, but be sure to cut the twine away from the trunk.

You may also consider planting your tree on a mound or in a decorative raised bed to help facilitate drainage. It is imperative that you locate your tree in a well-drained area of the yard, as trees can be susceptible to a host of fungal problems that proliferate in soils that don't drain well.

For containers choose varieties that stay small and plant with Acid Planting Mix. Water at least every 4 to 5 days during the summer months. For trees in containers, fertilize with Master Nursery Camellia, Azalea, and Gardenia Food or with Dr. Earth Rhododendron, Azalea & Camellia Fertilizer once a month from March to October. Trees in the ground are fertilized around Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Click here to see more beautiful Japanese maples in the Blue Hills Japanese Maple Gallery!