Purple Rhody and Beyond
Heatherwood Upper Garden
Many times I stroll through the garden with my camera just enjoying the beauty without really searching for images. Then an image just pops up. I stop and enjoy the scene before me. I see shapes, textures, and colors. The individual subjects blend together to create a feeling of beauty. I enjoy the moment. Then I bring my camera up to my eye and create an image.
Looking Through the Japanese Garden
Heatherwood Spring
A narrow stone path leads around the corner of our house. Immediately my eyes are flooded with spring color from Japanese maples, a flowering viburnum, a Japanese umbrella pine, and a weeping white pine. Then the Kotoji lantern by our hillside stream pops into view. It feels like the lantern is a scout looking over the garden.
The view as I walk around the corner is almost too much to take in all at once. Do I focus on the trees, shrubs, and ground covers that surround me? Or, do I look up through the trees and see the surprises peeping out through the foreground? Or, do I just pause and take it all in one little piece at a time? I usually do the latter.
Daffodils and Flowering Pear
Heatherwood Spring
Today is a time to pause and think about what is right with the word around us. It is a time to be thankful of what our Lord has given us. It is a time to be with family and friends and enjoy life. Happy Easter !
Jelena Witch Hazel
Heatherwood Late Winter
The witch hazels are the harbinger of spring in our garden. They are usually the first blooms of the year. Soon they will be followed by our Cornelian Cherry dogwood and the star magnolias. We have already seen tiny tips of the crocus and daffodils popping up from the ground. Spring is just two weeks away!
Plethora of Color, Textures, and Shapes
Heatherwood Winter Garden
This small vignette in the lower garden has a little bit of everything. Russian sage and spent rudbeckia display blue and grey with a hint of brown as well as provide fine and course textures. Red twig, yellow twig, and Midwinter Fire dogwoods show a blast of color and texture. The grasses in the background are a break in the color and provide a contrast in form and texture with their flowing seed heads. The vertical conifer trees frame the image with varying textures and yellow, green, and blue colors. The dark green Mugo Pine anchors the center of the image and provides a sharp contrast in color against the dogwoods.
Later this winter the Russian sage, dogwoods, rudbeckia and grasses will all be cut back. In spring, new growth will emerge providing a fresh pallet of color, texture, and form.
Dogwoods and Selah Bluff
Heatherwood Autumn
A planting bed of grasses and deciduous shrubs separate Heatherwood from our neighbor’s back yard. As we were designing the lower part of our garden area, we reviewed our concepts with our neighbors. We wanted to make sure that what we planted did not distract from their view of the bluff looking over our yards. This is their view from their back yard looking northeast up toward the surrounding hills. We both think the design has worked out!
Fall Grasses and Perennials
Heatherwood Meadow
How fast the fall colors are changing. It is difficult keeping up with the daily changes in the garden. The garden seems to be a little mixed up this fall. Some plants seem to be peaking earlier than normal while others seem to be lagging behind. Right now, the meadow seems to be in its peak fall glory. The grasses are golden with a remaining hint of summer green. The sedums have turned into their autumn gold and orange. The asters are in full bloom with their showy bright purple coat. Most of the perennials have faded in color, but have interesting spent blooms full of seeds for the birds. Every once in a while a bright new bloom pops up like those of the red hot pokers. Throughout the garden the red twig dogwoods are displaying their bright red, yellow, and orange fall foliage. Every day is a treat!
Rudbeckia and Brandywine Viburnums
Heatherwood, Early Autumn
As summer transitions into fall, the rudbeckias fade and the berries of the Brandywine viburnum’s break out with their pink berries. I don’t have the heart to cut down the spent rudbeckia blossoms. I leave them for the birds to feed on the seeds. The fallen seeds spread throughout the garden to create new plants in the spring. We have plenty of of volunteers if anyone would like to transplant them.
Color in the Meadow
Heatherwood Summer
The hot temperatures are back, hovering around 100 degrees. The perennials in the meadow are displaying their bright summer colors. The high heat cause blooms to fade fast, but new growth and color continue to emerge. During these hot times, the best time to be in the garden is before 8:00 am and after 8:00 pm. These are great times for morning coffee and evening refreshments.
Summer Color
Heatherwood Meadow
Heatherwood’s summer meadow is like a painter’s palette full color. The colors are brilliant and constantly changing. They blend into each other creating a vignette that reminds me of a Monet painting. My imagination wanders as I envision how Monet might view the scene.
Garden Meadow
Monet’s Perspective