Category Archives: Flora

Time to Plant

Leave a reply

“2022 Spring Planting”
Heatherwood Spring

Our driveway looks like a garden nursery. The plants for our spring planting project arrived last Friday, two weeks later than what we had originally planned. The crazy early spring weather has put us behind schedule. We have a zillion plants to layout and plant during the next couple of weeks. The weather has turned warm. We will need to carefully stage our planting with our irrigation system modifications. Wish us luck!

Planting starts today!

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Getting Ready

Leave a reply

“Purple Lilac Buds”
Heatherwood Spring

Our lilacs are getting ready to burst out into their spring bloom. I planted a row of lilacs along the north eastern part of our property about five years ago. The bushes were about 18 inches tall. The first year, each plant had only a couple of blossoms. Now they are over six feet tall and are laden with beautiful blooms. One of the things I enjoy the most about our garden is watching how plants grow and mature over time.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Easter Emergence

Leave a reply

“Celebrating Easter”
Heatherwood Lower Garden

Easter is a time of emergence and new life. Heatherwood welcomes Easter with its early spring burst of bulbs, trees blooming and leafing out, perennials popping out of the ground, and grass greening up. It is a celebration of life that nature and our Lord has given us.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Daffodils Day 4

Leave a reply

“Daffodils in Crabapple Grove”
Heatherwood Spring

One more day and all the daffodils are in bloom. From the time that the first daffodils bloomed it only took four days for the whole daffodil drift to bloom. In the same time period several of the crabapples started to leaf out. Shortly they will start to bloom one by one.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Daffodils Day 3

Leave a reply

“Daffies in Late Afternoon Sun”
Heatherwood Spring

Another day brings out more daffodil blooms. The field is now about 75% in bloom. One day makes a big difference.

Yesterday’s garden walk was in the late afternoon just before the sun dropped behind the western hills. The warm light was gorgeous as it spread across the garden onto the daffodils in the crabapple grove. It was a nice way to wrap-up a beautiful spring day!

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

First Daffies

Leave a reply

“First Daffodils”
Heatherwood Spring

Yesterday we woke up and looked out our window, and there they were, the first daffodils of the year. There were about a dozen blooms among the field of green leaves. We took a morning stroll to admire them. Looking around we could see little reddish leaves starting to emerge from the spirea shrubs. Leaves were also starting to emerge from the crabapples. Once a few daffodils bloom, the remaining bulbs soon follow. We are just starting a series of blooming/budding color in our crabapple grove. First the daffodils, then the various crabapple trees one species at a time. Each week will have a different surprise.

We love spring!

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Spring is Here!

Leave a reply

“Yukimi & Siberian Iris”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

Today is the first day of spring. Early spring bulbs including the Siberian iris and crocuses are in bloom. Daffodil chutes are poking up through the ground. Their blossoms are still a couple of weeks away. The forsythia is blooming along with the first blossoms of the star magnolias and the Cornelian Cherry dogwood. All of the grasses and perennials have been trimmed. The garden spring weeding has been completed. We will celebrate the first day of spring today by pruning our roses.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Peeking Through

Leave a reply

“Crocuses Viewed Through Chief Joseph”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

I got up from my knees where I took the image on my last post, turned around, and saw this vignette. Looking through the bright yellow needles of our Chief Joseph lodgepole pine I caught a glimpse of white and purple crocuses. It was one more opportunity to create the feeling of a warm late winter day. Spring is coming!

There is so much to see and enjoy in our Heatherwood garden. The images in the last three posts are only 3-4 steps apart. All I have to do is open my eyes and wait for something interesting to come to me.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Macro Stroll

Leave a reply

“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.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1