Heatherwood is peppered with Purple and Gold. No one would guess that I am a died in wool University of Washington Husky!
This image is all about contrast. It represents contrast in color (yellow & purple), shape (globes, stars, and spikes), as well as texture (smooth, prickly, and soft).
This combination of plants also remind me of their spreading capability. When we planted the meadow three years ago, we had a couple of groupings of individual rudbeckia, sea holly and Russian sage. Today they are spread throughout our lower garden. By the end of the season we will have enough seedlings to share with our neighbors!
Our Heatherwood meadow is a potpourri of color in midsummer. This vignette is a mixture of yellows from the red hot poker and yarrow, pinks of the Joe Pye weed, blues of the globe thistle, greens and browns of the Karl Forrester fountain grass, and the background greens of the red twig dogwood. It is an eye’s delight!
Mid-summer is the peak of color which gives Heatherwood’s Cherry Allee its nick name, ‘Bright and Shiny’. When we were defining the conceptual design of the lower garden area, we asked Mary what she would like to see. She quickly said, “Something bright and shiny.” Three years after planting, here it is.
We envisioned creating a framed-in colorful view from our house level which included both a near field interest of color as well as a bucolic view of the background farms. Pink Flair cherry trees frame the planting area and lead a viewer’s eyes through the scene to the sky above. The shaped lower lawn separates the foreground from the background. We planted oak and birch trees to separate Heatherwood from the neighbor’s pasture. The trees at the top of the hill provide additional interest as they break the horizon line.
We added ‘sitting rock’ benches at the top of the garden to immerse the viewer into the bright flowers. Lilies planted just right of the stone benches provide a sweet aroma. It is easy to get lost in the beautiful colors and sweet smells.
All season interest was also in our minds when we designed ‘Bright and Shiny’. In the early spring, the cherries break out in beautiful pinkish white blooms. Later in spring the perennials start to bloom in color profession. In summer the perennials reach their peak as different plants come in out of their prime colors. In autumn, the cherry trees and the background trees burst out in brilliant fall color. And in winter, the red bark of the cherries and the yellow bark of the yellow twig dogwoods frame the view while the different forms and textures of the spent perennials provide winter interest. When snow covers the ground and trees it is like a winter wonderland.
I am always trying to create an image that reflects what I see and feel when our sea of daffodils are in full bloom. This view is from the southeast corner of our property looking north to the surround hills and a couple of our neighbor’s homes. The daffodils are planted in a grove of crabapples. We still researching for a ground cover solution for the grove when the daffodils have expired.
As I walk around the daffodil bed and focus on the mass of blooms, I get a little dizzy. With a little help from my camera, my vision appears.
Where have I been? It has been over two weeks since my last post. A lot of things have been happening here at Heatherwood. I will try to catch up in my next several posts.
Our sea of daffodils have peaked and are starting to fade. They are still attractive at a distance but are starting to get a little tired and hanging their heads. The perennials in the meadow area are poking their new foliage above ground. Some of the grasses are starting to grow, while others are waiting for warmer weather. The red twig dogwoods in the background of the above image are just now starting to get their first leaves. Overall, it seems like we are 2-3 weeks behind a normal year.
Today we will host our family Easter celebration. We will have three generations of Grafs, Downeys, Pecks, and Powells with us this year. The older generation will relax and laugh as we watch the youngsters search for the Easter eggs. There are plenty of spots to hide them in our Heatherwood garden. While we relax and laugh, the middle generation parents will nervously make sure their kids don’t get carried away.
While we enjoy the day, we will all thank our Lord in our own way for the life He has given for us.
As the Farmer’s Almanac says, “When the forsythias bloom, it is time to prune the roses.” I will be busy this coming week.
I spent a couple of hours walking around our garden with Mary today. She gladly volunteered to be my sherpa. I worked with two cameras, switching back and forth between a macro and a telephoto zoom. While I was using one, she held the other. It sure was a lot easier than changing lenses back and forth. Thank you Mary!
Meandering along in the Yakima Arboretum Japanese garden, I looked down and saw this stringy ground cover. It was full of oranges, purples, greens, yellows, and turquoise colors. I don’t have any idea of what kind of ground cover it is, but I really need to get some for our Heatherwood garden.
Today is Ground Hogs Day, the midpoint of winter. It is bright and crisp as I walk through the garden. It feels like spring is just around the corner. But, who knows what the next six weeks of winter will bring.
Walking though Heatherwood’s meadow area, I look up the hill and see a plethora of color, shapes, and textures. Contrasting browns, reds, oranges, yellows, and greens brighten up the scenes. The different textures and shapes of the feathery ornamental grasses, bare branches of the red twig dogwood, and various conifer shrubs and deciduous trees provide additional interest. Our Heatherwood garden sure is not dull in the midst of winter.
