Episode 271: Japanese Maples

Miles Hayward is a dendrophile and keen plantsman, who discovered a passion for Japanese Maples and soon began to accumulate a wide variety of different cultivars. He started Miles Japanese Maples in 2016 specialising in Japanese Maples, after becoming frustrated by the lack of good quality trees in garden centres and local nurseries. He now grows high-quality trees in relatively small numbers, focussing on quality over quantity.

What we talk about

What is a Japanese Maple?

The different species

Preferred growing conditions

Should you feed your Japanese maple?

Where to site them

Growing maples in containers

Pruning maples

Miles’ favourites

About Miles Hayward

 Miles Hayward is a dendrophile and keen plantsman, having studied Botany at Reading University in the late 1990s before going on to work at a hardy exotic plant nursery for ten years where his love of trees flourished. While exhibiting at various flower shows around the country, he discovered a passion for Japanese Maples and soon began to accumulate a wide variety of different cultivars.

Miles decided to start a small nursery in 2016 specialising in Japanese Maples, frustrated by the lack of good quality trees in garden centres and local nurseries.  We like to think of ourselves as ‘small batch growers’, producing high-quality trees but in relatively small numbers, due to lack of space! Each tree receives a lot of care and won’t be sold to a customer until Miles is completely satisfied that it is the best it can be (or he really likes it and wants to hang on to it!)

Miles Japanese Maples has been peat and pesticide free since inception, although there is always experimenting and tinkering to find the perfect compost mix. The trees have been grown in Air-Pots for the last 5 years or so, to ensure that they have the best possible root systems.

The nursery is open to visitors by appointment or we are at various plant fairs around the south-east at some lovely venues. We were delighted to exhibit for the first time at Chelsea Flower Show last year and will be returning in 2024.

Miles is a member of The Maple Society of Britain and Ireland, The International Dendrology Society and various others too numerous to mention!

Links

www.milesjapanesemaples.co.uk

Miles Japanese Maples on Instagram

Green Heart Horticultural Services on Facebook

Green Heart Community Nursery

The Nursery Fundraiser

Other episodes if you liked this one:

Bonsai with John Hanby

Hardy Eucalyptus

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