“Garden Entry Before 2022 Planting”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
We are starting day 3 of our 2022 planting project. We are currently planting in this area. Kinnikinnick will cover the foreground area, blue rug creeping junipers will cover the mid-ground area, and thyme will cover the areas close to the entry path. In two to three years most all of this barked area will be covered with vegetation.
“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!
“The Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
I have posted several images of our Heatherwood Japanese garden waterfall over the last couple of years. This angle is one of my favorite perspectives. Last year, we built two stepping stone paths leading to this intersecting view point.
The sound of the falling water draws my attention up the hillside. My eyes stop and pause at the Kotoji lantern before they continue to move to the Mountain lantern where they pause again. After the pause, they move to the yellow Chief Joseph lodgepole pine and pink phlox and then back down to the lower waterfall. And then they start to make a counterclockwise move up and around the hill again.
“Stepping Stones Up to the Perch”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
On this day I decided to take the back path up to the “Perch.” From the entrance of the stone steps, I can see the Adirondack chair and the small mountain lantern. I can hear the sound of a rushing stream, but cannot see anything. A surprise waits at the top.
My mission for this day’s photo excursion was to record a baseline for the state of the Japanese garden before we start our spring planting project. I want to have before and after perspectives of the different vignettes in the garden. Our objective for this area will be to encase the area around the path with various ground covers and maybe a couple of deciduous shrubs.
Since this post talks about the path up to the “Perch”, I decided to change the overall web site header to the surprise at the top of the steps.
“Waterfalls and Pond”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
It’s a beautiful early spring morning. The sun came out and the clouds cooperated. Heatherwood beckoned me to come out and walk through the Japanese garden with my camera. I enjoy this perspective looking over the waterfalls up over the developing Japanese-style garden area. This area has been in place now for three years. The trees and shrubs are slowly growing along with the ground cover. Each year we have been and will continue to add ground covers, a few trees and shrubs, and other accent vegetation to enhance the garden. It will be a never ending evolution. Next week we start our spring planting!
“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.
“Pink Cherokee Chief Dogwood”
Heatherwood Spring
After the early blooming yellow Cornelian Cherry dogwood, our pink Cherokee Chiefs are the next dogwoods to bloom. The sepals are just starting to spread now. In a day or two, I anticipate that they will be in full bloom.
Our two pink dogwoods were here when I first moved to our Selah home in 2016. They greet us as well as visitors as we/they enter our upper driveway.
“Cornelian Cherry Dogwood Bloom”
Heatherwood Spring
Our Cornelian Cherry Dogwood is one of the first bloomers of the year in early March. The blooms have remained for over a month! They start off as little yellow “puff-balls” then mature into graceful blossoms as the sepals spread out. This beautiful little tree remains a star of the garden through early spring!
There is so much going on in the garden as the temperatures start to rise this spring. I discover new tiny leaves, bulging buds, new baby conifer cones, along with new blossoms every day. I enjoy just walking through the garden examining the changing details of all the new life! It’s a wonderful way to start the day.
“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.
“Neighbor’s Willow”
Heatherwood View
Our neighbor’s willow tree brightens my day. Most mornings while I am waiting for my early morning coffee to brew, I walk to our living room window and look over our garden and up the hillside above. This willow always draws my gaze. Even on a dreary early spring day, the tree’s brightness is a harbinger of a good day ahead. Thank You!