We’ve just recently returned from a two-week road trip from Omaha to the east coast to visit relatives and friends, a wonderful journey of 4,108 miles. One of the places we visited was the Maymont Estate in Richmond, Virginia. The Romanesque-style mansion on the 100-acre property was completed by James Henry and Sallie May Dooley in 1893. Major Dooley died in 1922 and upon the death of Mrs. Dooley in 1925, the estate was bequeathed to the city of Richmond. There were no heirs to parcel the land or distribute the contents of the mansion, and it was opened as a public park and museum, virtually intact, only six months later. When we visited the grounds last week, in a light rain, I was particularly enchanted by the lovely Japanese garden. Japanese maples have long been among my favorite trees, and the ones thriving here were nothing short of spectacular. It provided a welcome haven of serenity. Please click on a photo for a higher-resolution image.
krikitarts 
Stunning leaf colour. I love them too. They make lovely photo subjects, but also are beautiful enough to just sit and gaze at them with enjoyment.
That third photo looks like the brightest colour leaves were arranged in a pleasing pattern.
They really are the stuff of contemplation, one of the main reasons why they are (and I feel) so at home in a Japanese garden.
Wow! Those reds really are stunning. It’s nice to see that flaming color long after the autumn colors of most other trees have long ago faded.
It sure is. It’s a real treat to be able to travel around a bit at this time of year and catch up on the seasonal changes that have flown by so fast in other, less-gentle parts of the country. And few trees show the flame as much as these. Gotta love ’em!
Such beautiful colors…naturally. :)
One might think that the nearly-outrageous colors colors would contrast with the tranquil setting, but they really complement each other.
They certainly do, Gary…perfectly.
Beautiful!
Thanks, M–it was a long drive to find this display at this time of year, but it was a great trip!
Beautiful pictures, Gary, I particularly like the top one, for its composition, the fact that you are looking down upon the beautiful scene, and for what appear to be reflections from waterlogged ground.
There’s a large arboretum near here at Westonbirt, and they have many of these Acers (is that the right name for Japanese maples???) – absolutely stunning.
And my mind goes into super-boggling mode when I think about a 4,000 mile road trip, although I know you New Worlders do such things! Adrian
That’s right, Adrian–Acer palmatum. You could do a road trip like that too, but if you wanted to do it all in longish stretches rather than short ones, you’d have to cross the Channel and invade the mainland–and you’d probably wind up in Siberia or India!