It pays to stroll through the garden every day at this time of year. New blooms burst out every day. In this case with our Akebono cherries, the glory of the full bloom only lasted one day. The temperature dropped into the 20’s the day that the cherries burst out in full bloom. The next morning the bright white blossoms were brown.
Garden strolls remind me to stay in the present and enjoy each and every moment. When I see something that catches my eye, I take the time to stop and explore it. I sometimes get close and touch the plant and feel its uniqueness. Who knows, tomorrow it may change.
Late afternoon sunshine brings warmth to our Heatherwood garden. This was taken at about 5:30P just before the sun set behind the hills to the west. The yellows and reds of the yellow and red twig dogwoods highlight the scene. The Selah Ridge above sets the background. The curving grass walkway provides an entryway to the garden from the road. It gives a peek into the garden for walkers as they pass by.
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas ‘Golden Glory’) Heatherwood Spring
When I think about dogwoods I envision large white or pink bracts. When I think about ornamental cherries I see tight white or pink blooms. The Cornelian cherry dogwood has neither. However it does have small red cherry-like fruit in the fall.
I first saw a Cornelian cherry dogwood in the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia. In late winter/early spring on one of my walks, I saw this large yellow blooming shrub-like tree. At a distance, I thought it was a large forsythia bush. As I got closer, it looked very different. I had no idea of what it was. I went to the visitor’s center asked what it was. To my surprise, they told me it was a dogwood!
For many springs and many visits to the Morris Arboretum, I scouted for the yellow blooming dogwood. It was consistently one of the first if not the first blooming tree in the Arboretum. It was truly a harbinger of spring and many later flowering trees.
When I moved back to Selah, WA and started developing our Heatherwood garden, a Cornelian cherry dogwood was one of the top ‘must have’ trees on my list. I always think of the many happy memories of the Philadelphia area and strolls in the Morris Arboretum when I view our special tree here in Heatherwood. Even though I live across the country from the Morris, I still am a member and supporter of the Arboretum. It is a must see when visiting the Philadelphia area.
Spring started with sunshine and warm days here at Heatherwood. The Cornelian cherry dogwoods, star magnolias, forsythias, and early flowering cherries are in full bloom. The daffodils are right behind.
Spring brings new growth and re-emergence. It is a catalyst for fresh new thoughts and experiences. Enjoying new things in the garden helps me focus on what is right about this world. Positive thoughts are essential with all the crazy things that are currently going on.
I’ve spent the month of January away from our Heatherwood Eden. We missed our garden so we took a jaunt out into the natural garden of the Joshua Tree National Monument. Joshua Tree is in the southern portion of the Mohave desert in California. It is a land of its own with cactus-like forests and strange rock formations in a desert landscape. It is a wonderful place to just walk and explore. As I wander about, each turn of my head opens up my eyes to new visions. The Joshua trees look like stick figures in all different forms. The rock formations look like faces, animals, architectural structures, and even monsters here and there. My imagination wanders from scene to scene. A simple one hour walk turns into a 2-3 hour adventure through a land of wonder.
View Looking Up Through the Meadow Heatherwood Fall Colors
More color is bursting out every day! There is something new to capture my interest every morning. I need to get out and photograph every day. A little rain here and there coupled with wind knocks the leaves off quickly. One day our stewartia was covered with bright orange leaves. The next day after an evening wind, only a few leaves were left. The constant change is part of the glory of autumn. Each day Heatherwood delivers a new gift. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.
I started the day walking into the garden with my garden tools. I was planning on doing a little work. I did not get very far. The sun softly peeked through the light cloud cover. The colors of the garden were gorgeous. I turned around, put my tools away, and grabbed my camera. Three hours later I came in for lunch.
I have been working on our garden for ten years now. Our efforts are gradually taking effect. I had pretty much a clean slate to work with. For the first three years, this hillside was just a green lawn. In 2019, we tackled this area and started to create a Japanese inspired garden. Six years later most of this upper area is covered with maples, conifers, and ground covers. We sit back and enjoy just watching the area mature. As the conifers get larger and produce more shade, there will be room for a few more Japanese maples who are less tolerant to the bright eastern Washington sun.
Walking around the corner of Heatherwood’s Japanese garden path, I immediately am attracted to the fall color beauty of our variegated dogwood. I pause and enjoy the colors, shapes, and textures of the overall garden scene. The dogwood leaves and berries draw me in for a closer look.
‘Cherokee Daybreak’ Flowering Dogwood
Red berries pop out along the branches. Pink fall color takes over the leaf margins. It’s a pretty sight to see!
Morning sunshine flows through the Japanese maples and conifers along the garden path. The maples are beginning to transition to their bright fall color. The ground covers and green shrubs and conifers are holding on to their summer greens.
As I walk along the path I look side to side and enjoy the various plants up close. I look forward along the curving path and anticipate what is around the corner … next post.
Heatherwood is starting to transition into its fall colors. The maples are gradually turning color branch by branch. A little color from the yellow rudbeckia and purple Russian sage remains to provide a little splash of color. A few recent sprinkle of rain has encouraged the lush green lawn to put out its last spurt of growth. A few fallen red maple leaves sprinkle the green grass. Autumn is well on its way.
This little scene looking through the northwest corner of Heatherwood is one of my favorites. The planting bed around the flume is maturing nicely. We have added a few amsonia in the back to brighten it up a bit from the street view. The flume itself is a little bit of history dating back around 100 years when it was the new source of irrigation water in our area.
