I confess to something of a weakness for Japanese maples, and I suspect I’m not alone. Now, thanks to breeding work by experts like today’s guests, there are more and more varieties being made available that are suited to a widening range of climate zones and garden conditions, meaning the circle of maple lovers can keep on growing. 

Brothers Matt and Tim Nichols are the forces behind MrMaple.com, a North Carolina-based retail mail-order nursery with a staggering collection of about 1,500 different Japanese maple varieties to offer. They ship 100 trees a day year-round, as many as 700 plus a day in peak season. As if that were not enough, last fall, the Nichols Brothers acquired an esteemed wholesale nursery in Oregon, Buchholz & Buchholz. Now, they’re selling to garden centers, too. I welcomed them to the program to talk about these irresistibly collectible trees. 

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