Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have been watching this viburnum waiting for it to bloom. A few of the bud pods are now opening up. Very soon, white blossoms will appear form each of the individual flower buds. Maybe tomorrow!
It is an exciting time of year in the garden. Little needles are starting to emerge from buds on the evergreens. Tiny cones are starting to form. Buds on our cherry, plum, crabapple, and pear trees are swelling. A few leaves are popping out on our October Glory maple. Needles are turning from their winter yellows and browns to their spring light green. Things are happening!
Today is an absolutely beautiful spring day here in Eastern Washington. The sky is bright blue and the temperature is a warm 65 degrees. It couldn’t be a nicer day. I spent a good part of the morning going from plant to plant photographing emerging flower and leaf buds. I finished the morning off sitting with Mary overlooking our stream soaking in the rays from the sun. It felt so, so good!
The beauty of this simple star magnolia bloom brings me peace. Nature is not letting the Coronavirus gain the upper hand. We all need to do the same. Gradually things will get better like nature gradually transitioning from winter dormancy, through spring awakening, to the flourish of summer brightness. There are so many things to be thankful for. Take a walk and enjoy nature … spring is here!
I have been watching this viburnum for a couple of weeks waiting for the buds to pop open in bloom. It should happen any day now … I hope.
During these times when it is best to stay home and keep isolated as much as possible, I am so thankful that I can just walk through our garden and enjoy the wonder of nature that surrounds me. My camera is always busy. It is a catalyst to stop, look at things in detail, and discover little jewels that I have passed by many times before. There is always something new to see and explore!
Walking along our garden path, these bright yellow mugo pines burst sunshine into my face. During the winter the pines turn to bright yellow and highlight the winter garden. The side light of the late afternoon sun creates a glow around the the edges of the shrub. They look like a sunburst. Soon they will be turning into their bright green summer color.
With all the crazy things going on and the limitations we are all managing as the result of Coronavirus precautions, I am spending my free time outside in our garden and taking walks in nature. I will start a series of postings on harbingers of spring.
With the mild seasonal temperatures we have experienced this winter, many plants and trees have started budding early. This little spruce is about ready to release its spring growth.
Have a happy day and get out and enjoy nature if you can.
In my last post, I described the path up to the top of our Japanese-style garden. This is the “Chief” that I mentioned at the the first turn of the upward path. The brilliant gold of this small pine stops me in my tracks. It is absolutely beautiful against the cold winter snow. It is a jewel in this area of the garden.
Bright and light it captures me. Gold shines apart from the surrounding land, Everything else is a background blur.
I have learned so many new things as we have been designing and implementing a Japanese-style garden here in Selah, Washington. The biggest thing that I have learned is how little I know and how much I need to learn. Studying and learning is a big part of the enjoyment that I am receiving from this project. Patience is a key element that I am balancing.
Walking through a Japanese garden is an adventure in discovery. To get to the point where this image is taken, I take a meandering stroll. I enter the garden from our driveway along a gentle bending path and come to a fork. I choose to walk up a gentle slope. The path curves upward to a wide level space where I pause to closely observe a brilliant yellow “Chief Joseph” limber pine. I turn around and see our pond in the distance. I continue to walk up the path to another wide area at the top of a stream. Again I pause to look over the now dry stream bed and over the valley below. After several moment, I cross a large basalt rock bridge over the stream. I turn to my right and see this vignette of the Kotoji and Yukimi lanterns. One leg of the Kotoji is anchored in the stream. The Yukimi is placed on a rock extending over the edge of the pond. On a bright day (without ice or snow covering the pond), I can see the reflection of the Yukimi on the pond. I feel like it acts like a guardian for the koi in the pond.
After I take the photograph, I step back upon the stone bridge. Looking down on the stream, I consider the options that are available to landscape around the stream to create a natural setting. Ideas flow through my mind. Nothing quite gels at the moment. There is no hurry to come up with a design. A landscape is developed over a period of years. It is never completed. Now is the time to have patience and just enjoy what is in front of me.
As we developed the design for our Japanese Garden, winter color was an essential element. Throughout the garden, we added several conifers that turn to a brilliant yellow to contrast against the greens of other shrubs and trees. We also selected deciduous Japanese maples and other trees that have color in their winter bark. The soft light browns of key rocks add to the color contrast. However, these were gifts, not necessarily part of our planned design. We just got lucky here.
One Japanese garden design technique is to used “borrowed scenes” from the area around the garden. As much as possible the background elements should look like they are part of the near and mid-range scene, giving it additional depth. As we laid out our Japanese garden last summer, we identified several elements for which we positioned them to take advantage of the background hills and landscape. In this image we used our neighbor’s large front yard tree, their pasture, and their fence to give depth to the Kotoji landscape view.
Hoarfrost is amazing. The small ice crystals build up on each other as the frost forms. Here, the hoarfrost continued to build up over a two day period. The frost looks like multiple sharp spikes on the exposed Japanese maple branches.
I was prepared for a sharp prick when I touched a branch. As soon as I got close the frost melted. No pain!
