Summertime in a Japanese garden is a texture of shades of green with an occasional hint of subdued color. It is a combined texture of rounded and vertical shapes. Here in the Portland Japanese Garden, every spot is filled in with various points of interest. Various shrubs and ground covers provide the understory. Different species of Japanese maples are the primary base of interest. Tall conifers are the backdrop for this overview scene of the garden.
As I sit and look over our Heaterwood Japanese garden, I let my imagination flow and dream what our garden may be for future generations to enjoy.
“Japanese Garden Pond” Yakima Arboretum, Washington
I must remember, “simplify, simplify, and simplify” when I use a wide angle lens. For this image, my subject was the Japanese lantern balanced by the rock jutting out into the pond. All the additional stuff to the right was not essential and just cluttered the image. I just needed to “foot zoom” a few steps closer to make it a better image.
“Foot Zoomed”
I must remember to get in close and intimate when working with a wide angle lens. On the positive side, working with infrared allowed me to achieve a reasonable dynamic range with the harsh highlights and shadows.
I am humbled with my progress, but still encouraged. As my website theme highlights, my photographic excursions are a “Never Ending Journey.”
“Japanese Garden” Yakima Area Arboretum, Washington
Today’s post moves away from Heatherwood to the Yakima Area Arboretum. Almost all of my recent photography work has been in our Heatherwood garden. I feel like I need a little change. Reviewing this week’s “Nature TTL” web site, I noticed the weekly challenge to be wide-angle images. It has been over a year since I created my last infrared images in the Palouse. So I gave myself the assignment to go to our local arboretum and photograph wide-angle infrared scenes. I quickly noticed how “out of practice” I was. I had to focus much harder on managing contrasts between tones, highlights and shadows, as well as details. Critiquing my work, I feel it was about a 3 on a scale of 10. But that is OK … it just means that I need to practice more! More to follow on future posts …
“Variegated Red Twig Dogwood” Heronswood, Kingston, WA
We have several of these variegated red twig dogwoods scattered through our Heatherwood garden. We even have some with grasses tucked in front (or back) surrounded by various evergreens. The big difference between the two gardens is that Hersonswood is a mature garden while Heatherwood is an infant. Heronswood’s plants flow into one another creating a solid mass of color and texture. At Heatherwood, most of our plants are separate from each other. We still have several years to go before the plants blend together. Patience is our challenge.
Many people seeing these white handkerchief-looking things lying on the ground and shrubs do not have any idea what they are. Getting closer, they look like a large white leaf. They aren’t. They are actually flower bracts from a Dove tree (Davidia involucrata).
I first encountered a Dove tree, sometimes called a Handkerchief tree, on a garden tour in Pennsylvania. Karen and I became transfixed on a huge tree with all of these handkerchief-looking things hanging down. A breeze came up and the air was filled with handkerchiefs fluttering down. It was quite a sight. We made notes to put it on our “bucket list” to add to our Fountainville garden. We never found one.
When I started to establish my wish list for my Selah garden, I chose several of Karen and my favorite trees. A Dove tree was one of those on the top of my list. I still have not located one in our Central Washington local area. When I saw this tree at Heronswood, my interest perked up again. I think I have just the right spot for one in our woodland garden.
This bright little alder grove welcomed me into Heronswood’s dark timber forest dominated by tall western cedars. Filtered light trickled through the whitish-grey tree trunks down to the lush green forest floor. A pink rhododendron provided an additional highlight. The forest called out “Welcome!”
Recently I had the opportunity to visit Heronswood on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington. A visit to Heronswood has been on my bucket list since the late 1990’s. I finally made it and my parting thought was, “I can’t wait to come back again.”
Heronswood has somewhat of a turbulent history. Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones started their adventure with Heronswood in 1987. It started off as their private garden, but soon took on the dimension of a speciality nursery. Hinkley traveled around the world searching out rare and unusual plants that could be grown in the Pacific Northwest environment. Over time, they had a robust business shipping plants to all 50 states as well as Europe and Asia.
In 2000, Hinkley and Jones sold Heronswood to W. Atlee Burpee and Company. Six months after Burpee’s acquisition, they filed Chapter 11. By 2006, Burpee closed down the garden and nursery and released the staff of experienced and dedicated workers. The next six years, the garden was left to deteriorate through neglect. Talking to one of the loyal visitors during my visit, she referred to this period as the “Dark Years.”
In 2012, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe purchased Heronswood and initiated its rebirth. During the “Dark Years” several of the rare species were lost, but many collections were salvageable. Hinkley was brought back in as Director Emeritus. With him he brought back many new plants from recent world wide travels. The current dedicated staff is committed to take Heronswood into the future.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at Heronswood. I came back with many ideas and concepts that I would like to incorporate into our own Heatherwood, once we get a little more shade.
“Nature Meets Architecture” The Highline, New York City
This is another interesting building next to the Highline. I get excited when I see beautiful gardens and cool architecture. The Highline is a great place to visit where gardens and architecture meet.
One of the reasons I visited the Highline was to get ideas for our garden. At Heatherwood, we are trying to create a naturalistic combination of perennials and tree groves. The Highline planting designs by Piet Oudolf exemplify the look and feelings that we are targeting.
“Sunny Afternoon in the Arboretum” Yakima Area Arboretum
For late fall, we are having beautiful weather. The sun was casting its late afternoon rays across the trees in the Yakima Arboretum. I was only able to catch about 30 minutes of the beauty before I had to quit. It was a nice way to end an afternoon.
