Category Archives: Trees

It is Hard to Believe …

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“Looking Into the Woodland”
Heatherwood Spring

It is late spring and we are through with our planting projects for now. It is hard to believe that just a little over two years ago, this area was all grass. Spring of 2020 we started carving up the lawn and making planting areas in our lower property. We planted a few trees at that time. In 2021 we added several additional trees and started planting the beginning of an understory. This year we added several more plants to the understory. It is beginning to look like a small woodland.

We just added an Adirondack settee and now can just sit back and enjoy the evolving woodland garden.

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A Little Rest

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“Southeast Corner Rest Station”
Heatherwood Spring

We call the southeast area of our garden the “Conifer Corner.” We planted a row of conifers around the southeast corner of our garden to create a little privacy from our neighbors. Within the corner, we also have planted additional specimen conifer trees and shrubs. We added bright ground covers and perennials to give it a little pizzaz. We finished it off with a little rest area tucked into the corner. Many times after walking down to the bottom of our property, I take a little break before walking back up the hill. More times than not, I get sidetracked and wander into a little day dream. Sitting in the Adirondack settee, I look up and gaze into the scene below.

“Wide Angle View Looking Up the Hill”

You can see how easily I could fall into a day dream!

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A Gift From Nature

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“Red Tip Norway Spruce”
Heatherwood Spring

Nature constantly gives me little gifts of joy each day. As I walk slowly through our garden, my mind and eyes wander. Then all of a sudden something pops out and says, “Look at me, look at me!” Yesterday, I was walking through the garden looking for little vignettes of contrasting color and texture. Then all of a sudden these little red tips from a Norway spruce stood up and hollered, “Here I am, forget about all that other stuff and pay attention to me.” I did and used all that other color and textures as a soft background.

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Good Morning World!

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“View From My Office Window”
Heatherwood Spring

If I sleep in and get up at 7:00A, then go into my office to write, this is what greets me as I look out the window. It is always an inspiration to start my day thinking about what is right about the world that surrounds me. There is so much to be thankful for. Taking a moment each day to think about that prepares me to make the most of each new day in front of me.

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Spring View

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“Lower Falls View”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

As I walk along our garden path, this is one of my favorite vignettes. Looking up the hillside, Japanese maples, various evergreens, and the Kotoji frame in the rushing stream above the pond. Each season brings different color and form to this little view. Each year the trees and shrubs grow and provide a fuller picture. Only four years ago this hillside was simply covered with grass and was a &%#&!? to mow!

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Guardians

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“Kotoji & Orangeola Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

The Kotoji and Orangeola Japanese Maple are the guardians of Heatherwood’s stream and waterfalls. The Orangeola’s first breakout of leaves is a robust red. In mid-summer it transitions into a burgundy and green color. Then in the fall, it bursts out into a spectacular orange. Over time the Orangeola will grow and drape over the Kotoji.

This image illustrates some of our spring planting this year. Across the stream, white and pink phlox and kinnikinnick are starting to cover the ground. Siberian cypresses planted on both sides of the stream will gradually grow and flow down over the rocks to the stream. Some day, years from now, our Heatherwood Japanese garden will be filled with complementary vegetation from the ground to the sky. In the mean time, we will enjoy each day watching the garden grow.

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Tough Guy

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“North Wind Hybrid Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Japanese Maple

Our North Wind Japanese maple is a hybrid that has been developed to withstand harsher environments than a typical Japanese maple. It is located in full harsh afternoon sunlight and will eventually flow over the Oribe Japanese lantern and a Tetsu Bachi water basin. It provides an entryway to our lower Japanese garden retreat.

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Spring Brilliance

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“Shin Deshojo Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

I posted an image of this Shin deshojo earlier this month when the leaves were just starting to break out and before the new ground covers were added. The Japanese maple is now in its peak brilliant pink spring color. This spring we planted a patch of Bressingham thyme. In a few years, we should have a blanket of purple to complement the Shin deshojo maple. It takes time for the thyme.

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Heatherwood Japanese Maples

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“Waterfall Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Spring

As I have mentioned many times before, I love Japanese maples and can’t get enough of them. For the next several posts, I will present some of my favorites. This ‘Waterfall’ Japanese maple was planted in 2017. It started out as a little spindly plant a little over 2.5 feet tall. In five years it has grown to a beautiful specimen about four feet tall and wide. It graces both the entryway into our house as well as the entry area of our Japanese influenced garden. I look our my office window every morning and enjoy seeing ‘Waterfall’.

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Remembering the Virginia Countryside

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“Dogwoods & Redbuds”
Heatherwood Woodland Garden

One of my fondest memories of the rural Virginia countryside is the springtime bloom of the native dogwoods and redbuds. They were such a beautiful contrast of purplish pink and white that abounded along the country roads in the Virginia woodland areas. I remember the beautiful drives from Fairfax down to Jefferson’s Monticello and the trips along Skyline Drive.

Here at Heatherwood in Eastern Washington, we are trying to create a similar feeling in our woodland garden. Our first challenge is to select trees that will withstand the harsh summer sun. Both dogwoods and redbuds are understory trees that flourish under the canopies of taller trees. We have taken the risk of planting taller trees simultaneously with the dogwoods and redbuds. The second challenge is to select the dogwoods that will bloom at the same time as the redbuds. The eastern dogwoods and redbuds bloom together. However the Eastern dogwood is susceptible to anthracnose which we do not want to have. Thus, we are experimenting with different species of Kousa dogwoods to match the early blooming time of the redbuds. Time will tell how successful our efforts will be.

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