“Japanese Maple Leaf on Phlox”
Heatherwood Winter
I enjoy the little things in the garden. A couple of days ago, I took a short stroll with my macro lens just looking for little things of contrast and interest. I looked down and noticed a single Japanese maple leaf from last year lying across the new growth of the a mound of phlox ground cover. The tips of the maple leaf accentuated the tips of the old and new growth of the phlox.
“Front Yard Color”
Heatherwood Late Winter
Who says a late winter garden is dull? Even after a little spring clean-up, Heatherwood’s gardens present late winter color interest. The above vignette is one of several areas that have filled in with a combination of evergreens, grasses, shrubs, and ground covers. It is our intent to continue to fill in the open garden areas with ground covers as the trees and shrubs grow and mature.
“Tri-color Sedum Abstract”
Heatherwood
Sometimes I see something that attracts my interest. What is it that attracts me? Is it the color, texture, shape or something else? Or is it something completely different that I imagine from a different perspective formed from my mind?
“Last Year’s Grasses”
Heatherwood Meadow
By the time this post is published, this clump of grasses will be gone. They are saying goodbye until next autumn. We have held off cutting the grasses down through the winter. They have provided seeds for the birds and interesting visual textures for us to enjoy. We enjoy watching them flow through the winter winds as well as visualizing the interesting shapes they form when laden with snow.
“Ice Plant in Transition”
Heatherwood Winter
We have been busy with Heatherwood’s spring cleaning. During this time of year, I am always looking out for the little things that have started their spring growth or color change. In the image above, the ice plant is changing from its winter orange/red to its summer lime green.
“Siberian Iris”
Heatherwood Woodland Garden
This small patch of Siberian Irises is one of the first harbingers of spring in Heatherwood’s woodland garden area. The early morning shadows of a bare redbud tree adds a little perspective.
“Kotoji Guardian”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The Kotoji patiently waits for Spring to come. Soon water will be flowing down the stream he protects. Leaves will emerge from the surrounding Japanese maples. Ground covers will anchor his position as he watches over the rushing water at his feet.
“Crocuses and Nandina”
Heatherwood Rock Garden
After a few days of warm late winter weather, crocuses start to pop up throughout Heatherwood like magic. Small groups of bulbs are scattered about the garden. Many were planted next to rocks and trees to provide little focused highlights. Others were planted in a random natural fashion. As we walk along the garden paths, their bright blooms contrast against the winter colors of evergreen plants and shrubs like the Gulf Stream Nandina above. Little patches of color are everywhere. This is their second year in the garden, and we have many, many more places to cover. We are already planning on adding many more bulbs this fall.
“Birches and Fence”
Heatherwood Winter
Our garden birches hide our neighbors white fence during most of the year. From December through March, the white ranch-style fence peeks through the branches of the trees. I stand just enjoying the form of the white winter birches, then squint my eyes. A different abstract perspective appears. The background horizontal lines of the fence appear. The natural, slightly curving vertical lines of the birch trees contrast with the hard straight lines of the fence. I contemplate …
“Hillside Ground Covers”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The above image illustrates what we are trying to do with ground covers throughout our Japanese-influenced garden area. As the garden matures, ground covers will fill in the majority of barked areas. They provide color and texture contrasts complementing the evergreen and deciduous shrubs. They soften the hard rocks as they grow around and over them. They change color from summer to winter providing special color highlights throughout the year. Ground covers are the focus of our 2022 Heatherwood landscaping project.