“More Rock Garden Color”
Heatherwood Summer
The other day while I was photographing in the Japanese garden area, Mary came up to me and excitedly said that I had to come over and see the vignette she had just observed in our rock garden. Yesterday’s and today’s posting illustrate what she saw. Today’s image is the same view as yesterday, but taken just a few steps to the right. I look forward to tomorrow and what the next vision will be presented to me.
“Rock Garden Color”
Heatherwood Summer
Summer has hit with a vengeance! Temperatures have rapidly risen into the 90’s. Everything is bursting out in vivid colors. The meadow and rock garden areas are beautiful. Something new is popping out every day. Greens, yellows, blues, purples, pinks, and reds all are abundant. More to come …
“Eye Candy View”
Heatherwood Summer
The above image is a small vignette in front of a sitting area in Heatherwood’s Conifer Corner. The early morning sunshine softly flowed across the scene, popping out the various colors and textures of the various plants. Little vignettes like this are scattered throughout the garden. Their intent is catch a strollers eye and entice them to stop and take notice. Every time I walk through the garden, I see something new from a different perspective.
“Rock Garden Color”
Heatherwood Early Summer
Following a mild spring, our first week of summer is warming up. We are expecting the temperature to rise to the mid 90’s by this weekend. We will need to closely monitor our watering sequences to make sure we get enough, but not too much, water to our plants. In the meantime we will enjoy our early morning coffee and late afternoon wine in the garden.
“Yarrow Abstract”
Heatherwood Spring
Today is the last day of spring. It is time to say goodbye to most of the flowering trees and shrubs and to say hello to the flowering perennials. We still have several shrubs (viburnums and nine-bark) that are in their last stage of bloom plus several hydrangeas that will bloom later this summer. Our perennials are just starting to display their summer glory.
“View From the Road”
Heatherwood
This is the view from the roadside looking over Heatherwood’s front planting bed shown in my previous post. From here the tree plantings channel the viewers eyes up and then down through the lower yard then up to the hills separating Selah from Yakima. The feeling we are trying to impart is “Welcome to enjoy the view of the garden!”
“Front Border”
Heatherwood
We like to share the colors and textures of our garden with our neighbors as they stroll along the neighborhood road. It is a good place to take a break to stop and chat and exchange the neighborhood news.
This area is designed to have four season interest with various colors, shapes and textures. Plant heights are kept low to encourage the walker to look up and have a nice view through the garden. (I will show the view in a future post.) The challenge in encouraging one to look up into the garden is also to shield the view to the house and garage. To address this challenge, we have planted an informal border of trees and shrubs to shield the view to the house.
“Zelkova Neck”
Heatherwood Lower Lawn
One way we separate parts of Heatherwood is to narrow a section of our lawn down to create a pathway between sections. We have placed various shrubs and trees to develop chute or tunnel-like divisions. For this “neck” we have planted a hedge of spirea which will mature at about 4 feet wide and high. In addition, we have added two Wireless Zelkova trees to anchor separation. When they mature, their top branches will flow over the lawn and meet, creating a tunnel like feeling. The two lawn areas will be shielded from each other. A garden stroller will move from one open lawn area through the tunnel to a new surprise as the the view again opens up to a different part of the garden.
It will take years for Heatherwood’s plantings to reach the mature state that is described above. I close my eyes and smile as I dream about my vision of what the garden will be. But most important, I open my eyes, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment of the wonderful surroundings and search for what is around the next bend.
“Blooming Ninebark”
Heatherwood Late Spring
These two Coppertina Ninebark with their flower-laden flowing branches remind me of a pair of Octopodes … or should I say Octopi, or is it Octopuses. All three terms are frequently used, but only one is correct. Octopuses is the correct term. Mary is an English teacher and does not appreciate when I misspell a word. She constantly advises me to “Look it up!” So I did and learned the correct usage.
On a breezy day, the branches flow magically back and forth in the wind. It makes me feel like the garden is alive with monsters hiding around the bends of the pathways.
“Lower Patio Garden”
Heatherwood Spring
The lower patio garden transitions a visitor from the rock garden shown in my previous post to the central meadow. Plants in the lower patio garden replicate those in both the rock garden and meadow. Ground covers and shrubs present in the rock garden are planted in the steeper parts of the patio garden. Perennials and grasses found in the meadow are planted in the flatter areas. In addition, a couple of trees help transition the view to the crabapple grove further below.
The different areas of Heatherwood are designed to flow into one another working together to provide a common theme. One of the challenges we face every day is where to sit and enjoy a morning cup of coffee, an afternoon beverage, or just a peaceful relaxing moment.