Category Archives: Trees

A River of Green

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Stream of Grass Through Banks of Color
Heatherwood Autumn

A wandering stream of green grass flows through colorful beds of trees and shrubs in Heatherwood’s lower garden. Strolls through the garden stimulate my imagination and vision. Each time I walk, I visualize and imagine different scenes. Many times, I find a comfortable bench to sit back, observe, and reflect. I recall the times in my youth when Uncle Ben and I would sit on our rock overlooking the lower Naches Valley below. We would observe the orchards, farms, and hills beyond. He would tell me stories of adventures of my fantasy hero, Bobby Raccoon. As I wander through the garden, I imagine what my next adventure will be.

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Another Vista Gardens View

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Weeping Douglas Fir
Vista Gardens, Bremerton WA

The arms of this beautiful Weeping Douglas Fir reach out greeting the garden stroller to another beautiful view. Many beautifully sculptured trees are strategically placed throughout the gardens. They captured my sight as I walked along the paths. They made me stop and admire the specimen and how it was placed in the landscape. I scrambled to see the specific cultivar or variety, many of which I had not previously seen. I noted many that I plan to search for to add to our Heatherwood garden.

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A Hidden Secret in Bremerton, WA

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Autumn Garden Overlook
Vista Gardens, Bremerton WA

I recently spent two days exploring the beautiful and educational Albers Marcovina Vista Gardens in Bremerton, Washington. It is a meticulously designed 4-acre hillside landscape overlooking Dryers Inlet off Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. The garden displays a multitude of species and cultivars that can be grown in the Pacific Northwest. It focuses on sustainable landscape design that can support plant species which require no or minimum supplemental water. Plants are intertwined together which stabilizes a relatively steep hillside. Hand-laid stone and gravel paths meander throughout the garden to provide close access to the various plants. Artwork is incorporated into the landscape to provide special highlights.

From one perspective, the garden is absolutely beautiful throughout the four seasons. From my novice background, I found the garden a deep educational experience as well. John Albers, the founder and curator of Vista Gardens considers the garden as his laboratory to test plants and environmental ideas. The result is a display garden of unique resilient plants and sustainable landscape design concepts. I anxiously look forward to my next visit.

Vista Gardens is open to the public. Educational tours are also available. To plan a visit, go to their website: VistaGardens.org.

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Walking Through Garden Path

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Lower Garden Path
Heatherwood Autumn

Over the past several years, we have been gradually developing a garden path along the perimeter of our lower Heatherwood garden. The image above is the transition from our lower conifer garden to the woodland garden. The Lebanon cedars on the left and the birches on the right form a doorway across the lawn into the woodland garden above. Along the path, benches provide shaded places to rest and become immersed into the garden’s beauty. It’s time for a walk!!!

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Heatherwood Fall Color

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Looking Up Into the Japanese Garden
Heatherwood Fall

Colors abound as we look from the back yard up into the Japanese inspired area of our Heatherwood garden. The reds of the Autumn Brilliance maples and the yellows of the linden and other Japanese maples provide the bright color. The blues and greens of the various conifer trees and shrubs fill in the gaps. The bright orange of the heather provides a special accent in the bottom center. The tan of the background hill sets off the garden colors. The Japanese Kotoji lantern stands out to orchestrate the changing colors. Soon the chartreuse of the Wintersonne mugho pine on the left and the green of the Saratoga ginkgo in the center will turn to brilliant yellows.

The autumn colors seem to change every day. Our daily walk through the garden is always full of surprises!

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Blue Sky Fall Day

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Upper Garden Entrance Path
Heatherwood Fall

We have been blessed with many beautiful blue-sky early fall days this year. Some trees have already turned color and lost their leaves. Others are just starting to turn into their fall colors. Soon many of the orange maples will turn into scarlet red. We always enjoy the contrast of the garden colors with the stark beauty of the hill above accented by the bright blue sky.

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Shades of Green and a Hint of Orange

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Japanese Garden Lower Path
Heatherwood Late Summer

Shades of green dominate the lower path of our Heatherwood Japanese garden area in late summer. The light orange tinge of a Japanese maple in the background is a harbinger of the beginning of autumn. During the next several weeks the path will gradually sparkle with the changing colors of the Japanese maples and other deciduous trees that grace the landscape. Fall is just around the corner.

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Overlooking the Meadow

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The Meadow and Countryside Beyond
Heatherwood Late Summer

One of my favorite places to sit and enjoy our Heatherwood Eden is from our lower patio overlooking the meadow and the countryside beyond. I am at peace as I gaze over the waning colors of the meadow up to our neighbor’s freshly mowed pasture. The grove of trees on the ridge of the hill adds a spot of interest and curiosity. As I sit and enjoy the setting, time flies by and the problems of the world subside. I dream on what is right about our world rather than focus on the difficulties.

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I Look Out My Window and See …

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View from My Office Window
Heatherwood Spring

As I read the morning news on my office computer and sigh for all the turmoil that is going on in our country and the world, I turn to my side and gaze out the window. This image is what greets me on an early morning. It helps me change my perspective and think what is right about our world. I see the many trees that I’ve planted and nature has taken care of as they have matured. I look at the background hill and reflect on how it came into being. I compare the dry slope of the hillside and am grateful for the water that has been directed from the mountains that makes our little Heatherwood oasis possible. It entices me to go outside and mingle with the treats around me that nature has gratefully provided. Thank You!!!

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Spring is Japanese Maple Time

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Acer Palmatum ‘Katsura’ Leaves
Heatherwood Spring

Our Katsura is one of the first Japanese maples to leaf out in the spring. It has these beautiful yellow leaves outlined along the edges in red. It pops out among our other conifers and deciduous trees. Currently we have it planted in an open area in our woodland garden section. The leaves get a little scorched in late summer. Finding the right spot in our harsh eastern Washington summer environment is difficult and requires a bit of trial and error. Should I be patient and wait for other trees in the woodland to get larger and provide some afternoon shade, or should I make the move now and transplant it in a more protected area?

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