In regards to posting pictures I'll probably be more help. Join a site like Photobucket. You upload your pictures to them then copy this line of code they provide into a message board. For various websites I belong to different lines work best. I don't keep track of the forum engines that well but I think the 3rd is usually my first try.

As to your tree, your climate is a bit different than mine. I have a habit of planting fine leafed/variegated trees out in the middle of my yard and always figure they'd be best near a walkway where folks would notice.

I've had a red dragon in a pot for about 4 years. It's a nice tree. Not sure about it's eventual width requirements in the ground. I do find that it loses some of its red coloring in the shade. The red that remains is also more of a burgundy--pretty, but it will blend into a shaded entry way. To brighten up the space, I would suggest a light, bright green cultivar. I have a Seiryu that is really pretty in a shaded corner, actually looks nicer there than it did in its previous sunnier spot. Acer Shirasawanum Autumn Moon is also beautiful and Mikawa yatsubusa is a bit darker but might also work. I did a quick search on one of my favorite jm sites, worldplants.com, and found a couple of possibilities in their dwarf jm section: Mimaye, Shigure bato, Tsuma gaki, ukon. You can see Seiryu and Autumn Moon (and others) on pacificcoastmaples.com, although I haven't ordered from them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mimaye

Toronado3800 - thanks for the tip. I'm trying it out with this post. I uploaded 3 photos of my front yard and entryway.

I hope this works. On Photobucket I chose the 'embed slideshow option'...

dsb22 - thanks for the feedback! If these photos work, take a look and see if you think I should get a red or bright green. The shade can be dark, but my house itself is eggshell white. The darkest area is the covered porch itself. If JMs can truly work in shade, then maybe I can do a bright light green dwarf in a container in addition to putting one in the ground.

I would go for an Autumn Moon in that location. I think the lime green with orange overlay would be stunning against your house - more so than a red leaved variety.

Autumn moon is a slow grower, so bet the biggest one you can afford. Also, don't forget that with a little pruning you can keep a JM just about any size. They're quite easy to keep in line.

Hi Minsd, I personally would go with green. I agree with Kaitain4, an Autumn Moon would look great in that position. Or, Acer shirasawanum Aureum. The green of the leaves is dark enough to stand out against the white of the wall. Also broader leaves would go really well with the architecture of your home and contrast nicely with the other plant selections, especially the miscanthus and big blue lily turf (aka liriope I think). Shade is no problem for either and probably preferable in your climate.

Being addicted to JMs, I would of course put one in a pot on the patio as well. You can definitely prune width-wise to keep a jm within reasonable bounds; to keep the height down, you rootprune (very easy in a pot), not whack off the top :-).

Here is a link that might be useful: Aureum

A good looking house and some good choices! Long as you pick one which likes your climate and planting area I don't think there is a bad choice in the lot. With my limited experience I defer to the experts in that regard.

Autumn Moon is one I've considered ordering a couple times. Red Dragon is pretty neat also. Some of the "red" Japanese Maples which fade over the summer have a real neat effect come late July when new red leaves are opening over darker green foliage.

Thanks everyone! I'm with you about the Autumn Moon colors, I think those colors would look very nice in that space. Unfortunately, I've since found out that the shirasuwanums aren't the best choice for my climate zone.

I found www.essenceofthetree.com (used to be Mountain Maples) and they said palmatums are the best for hot dry climates. Here's an interesting article on their website: http://www.essenceofthetree.com/articles/choosing-the-best-maple-for-your-location/

Based on the list in that article I'm looking for a palmatum similar in color to Autumn Moon (like the Katsura but smaller). Ueno Homare is a possibility, and Calico is a dwarf much like Katsura (but not on the list). Shidava Gold is also on my short list although I don't think it'll be as interesting as the others. I did speak with the nursery and Shidava was a plant they recommended, but I want to talk to them again about the other possibilities.

I'll let you know what happens...

OK, so I just ordered an Ueno Homare from Essence of the Tree. (http://www.essenceofthetree.com/products/show/312) The owner, Tricia, said it's an excellent choice for SoCal with tolerance to heat and hard water, and it's more compact than the similar Katsura. Unfortunately, I'll need to be patient and wait as she won't ship to SoCal until November. She also recommends size 4 trees for this area so it'll be about 4' tall when I get it. I'm so excited!

Thanks for all the input everyone. It's not Autumn Moon but it has similar coloring. It has a stronger orange look in early spring, then transitions to a softer orange for the remainder of spring before going green in summer.

The link below has photos of how it looks all year round - just click on "Ueno Homare" in the left-hand menu when the website pops up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ueno Homare