Woodland Edge
Heatherwood Autumn
Fall color abounds in Heatherwood on a beautiful autumn day. Just six years ago this was just a pasture with only the background birches. It is amazing how fast nature takes hold. We are pretty much finished with the design in this woodland area. Next year we will focus on another corner of the garden.
Lower Garden Path
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Choices, choices, choices … which way do I turn? I hear rushing water to my left. I hear a plethora of bird songs ahead. I glance and see a dense packed pathway of shade loving trees and plants to my immediate right. A Goldilocks pine points its extended yellow branches to my different choices. Which way do I turn, or should I take my time and explore all three.
Golden Joy Juniper & Manyo No Sato Japanese Maple
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
This little vignette greets me as I start up the path to the top of our Heatherwood Japanese Garden. The warm early morning sun graces the Golden Joy juniper and the Manyo No Sato Japanese maple. I feel the golden palm and outreaching fingers of the Golden Joy uplifting the Manyo No Sato like a gentle hand. An early morning stroll through the garden is a wonderful way to greet the coming day and all the opportunities it brings.
Neighbor’s Pasture Through Cherry Allee
Heatherwood, Late Spring
I always enjoy our ‘view windows’ through the garden. It is very peaceful look down through the cherry allee perennial bed across to our neighbor’s pasture and watch the horses graze along. It is a good way to start the day.
Southeast Conifer Corner
Heatherwood Spring
Today is the last day of May. Where has the time gone? In one more month half of the year will have passed us by. These last three months have been extremely busy in our garden. We started with spring clean-up. Then we spent a couple weeks transplanting many, many plants to make ready for our spring planting project. After taking a short breath, we began a large planting project adding a number of trees, many shrubs, and a zillion ground covers. Then for the last couple of weeks we have been doing touch-up work and extending our irrigation systems to the new plants. When I thought we had finished for the spring, I got the crazy idea to go plant shopping at a local nursery. We now have another week or two of more planting and finishing things off before July.
Heatherwood will never be complete. As soon as I add a new plant, more ideas pop up. It’s time to enjoy a morning cup of coffee in the garden … and think what we need to enhance this or that spot!
Redbuds and Blue Star Amsonias
Heatherwood Woodland
This image is for my Redbud Buddy … Enjoy!
A Chair in the Woodland
Heatherwood Spring
My last post showed a view of our Heatherwood woodland. We have placed a sitting view point in the middle of the woodland at the corner of a garden pathway. Looking to our right (east) we see a row of redbuds in the foreground and the Selah Ridge beyond. Looking straight ahead (north) we see a curving path into the heart of our woodland area. Looking to the right we see Japanese maples, dogwoods, and a double row of buckthorns. Soon the buckthorns will grow to hide our secret hideaway. It is a great place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee, afternoon glass of wine, or just to enjoy the garden around us.
West Lawn and Woodland
Heatherwood Spring
It has been almost a month since I last posted an image. Where did the time go? This spring we were very busy planting a large number of trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers. It took us about six weeks to transplant existing trees and shrubs and then plant the new ones. I keep saying that this year is the last one for major planting. But when we got near to the end, we still had a lot of ground that we needed to cover. So we went out and bought more. We still have about a week worth of planting to do before the end of spring.
As we continue to add to Heatherwood, it is fun to look back and reflect on what this area use to be. Five years ago it was just an unruly pasture full of weeds. We are trying to establish a little woodland along the road on the left side of the image. The trees are getting taller creating a little shade. The understory plants are filling in. We even planted some shade-loving hostas. It is starting to take shape.
Japanese Garden Entry
Heatherwood Spring
Our spring weather has been beautiful in Eastern Washington. With the warm spring weather, the trees have been blooming and leafing out. The late afternoon sunshine brings out the warm colors along the entry path to our Japanese garden area. The brilliant red Bloodgood Japanese maple and the bright pink Don Egolf redbud frame the Hokkeji lantern and the Bosnian pine. Like a magnet, they pull a visitor into the garden.
On evenings like this we frequently stroll through or just sit in the garden reflecting on what a wonderful day it has been and what new experiences tomorrow will bring. It just doesn’t get much better.
Fingerleaf Japanese Maple and Yukimi Lantern
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Scolopendrifolium … that is a mouthful! I would just rather call it a ‘Fingerleaf’ Japanese maple. This is one of my favorite little scenes in Heatherwood. It is what we see as we relax in our Adirondack chairs by the pond. It is a great place to have a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or just sit and enjoy nature and the sound of the falling water.
Tiny leaves are just emerging on the Scolopendrifolium as it starts to reach over the Yukimi lantern. We are training the maple to provide a gentle canopy over the lantern. Just give us 3-4 more years.