Category Archives: Our Garden

Images taken in our Pennsylvania garden

Merry Christmas!

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“Early Winter Snow”
Heatherwood Winter

We are thankful for the gift of a little pre-Christmas snow that helped us get into a peaceful Christmas spirit. The natural setting here at Heather wood allows us to relax and enjoy the wonderful gifts that our Lord has given us.

As I stroll in the winter garden, I reflect on the many happy Christmases I have had throughout my life. They started up at the Ranch in Selah, WA for my early childhood years. They continued at our Hillcrest house overlooking Selah during my adolescence and college years. Karen and I enjoyed Christmases in Richland, Seattle, Bothell, Washington DC, Kent, Woodinville, and Fountainville, PA as my career took me back and forth across the country. And now Mary and I are spending our golden years in our Heatherwood garden back in Selah.

The Christmas season, even with all its hustle and bustle, is an occasion where we all need to take the time to be at peace, reflect on our lives and be thankful for what is most important to us and all that our Lord has given us.

Merry Christmas!

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Simple Pleasures

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“Walk Through the Garden”
Heatherwood Winter

The simple pleasure of walking through our Heatherwood garden is something I do almost every day. Sometimes the walk is just a few minutes, other times hours go by before I come in. The garden is in its infancy, but little vignettes like the one above, make each stroll a new experience.

During the busy Holiday season it is easy to get lost in all the hustle and bustle. I try my best to make sure I do not let the opportunities for little simple pleasures escape.

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Winter Day 3

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“Winter Grasses”
Heatherwood Meadow

Snow lightly glazes the stalks of the winter grasses adding to their winter beauty. Many gardeners like to have a neat planting area over the winter and cut down all their perennials. We prefer to let the garden get a little messy and enjoy the remnants of the perennials. The birds like it too as they feast on the spent flower seeds.

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Winter is Here

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“First Day of Winter”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

Today is the first day of winter. Light snowfalls in the last couple of days ushered in winter in our Heatherwood garden. I even had to plow our driveway yesterday.

Last year most of the Japanese maples kept their leaves through the fall and most of the winter. This year, they all have lost their leaves. The maples’ naked branches just blend into the background. The landscape seems more barren than it was last year. Hopefully the trees are taking a rest as they continue to develop strength below the ground’s surface preparing them for next years growth.

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Winter Garden Ground Cover

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“Ice Plant Sedum”
Heatherwood

To compliment the various winter interest shrubs and perennials, we have added various ground covers. The one with the most brilliant winter impact is the ice plant sedum. From its bright light green summer color, it turns into an intense orange-red color in late fall and winter. With a light dusting of snow it is particularly striking.

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Flash of Red in Winter Garden

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“Fire Power Nandina”
Heatherwood

Now let’s add a little flash of red to brighten up the winter garden. This species is a non-invasive dwarf reaching about two feet tall and wide at maturity. Here in the inland northwest it will maintain its red colored leaves during warm winters. Being a non-invasive plant, it does not have the typical white blossoms in the spring or the red berries in the fall and winter. But it is still a nice all season highlight to the garden.

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Winter Garden Star

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“Chief Joseph – The Star”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

The “Chief Joseph” lodgepole pine is the star of our winter landscape. It turns from its summer bright green to this brilliant yellow in the winter. This specimen is a great candidate for the centerpiece of any winter garden.

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More Winter Garden Ideas

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“Yellow & Red Twig Dogwoods & Grasses”
Heatherwood Late Fall

In addition to color contrasts, structure, form, and texture are important elements to create interest in a winter garden. In the above image, the red and yellow color of the dogwood shrubs provide initial interest. In addition, the hard line texture of the dogwoods contrast with the softer grass stems. The upright forms of the grasses and dogwoods complement each other and tie this vignette together. I am starting to visualize the beginnings of the new Yakima Arboretum Winter Garden already.

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Winter Garden Planning

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“Winter Garden Color”
Heatherwood Rock Garden

We received a little dusting of snow last night, so I thought I would venture out and try to take some images that would show examples of what could be done to create winter color in the garden. In our Heatherwood rock garden, we have yellows, oranges, reds, greens, blues, and browns. Ground covers, perennials, deciduous shrubs, and evergreen shrubs provide the varying color contrasts.

We are in the process of designing a small “Winter Garden” section for the Yakima Area Arboretum. We hope to create an example that can be shared with the area community.

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