Summer Color
Heatherwood Meadow
Heatherwood’s summer meadow is like a painter’s palette full color. The colors are brilliant and constantly changing. They blend into each other creating a vignette that reminds me of a Monet painting. My imagination wanders as I envision how Monet might view the scene.
Garden Meadow
Monet’s Perspective
Early Morning View Over Lower Garden
Heatherwood Summer
Today will be another hot one with the temperature forecast to reach 104 degrees. The early morning, around 7:00, is the most comfortable part of the day to be outside. I took the opportunity to stroll around the garden with my camera. This is the first scene that I encountered after I walked out to the upper yard. It was a great way to begin my morning walk.
Now it is time to put on my farmers straw hat and mow the yard.
Lower Meadow Area
Heatherwood Summer
The temperatures are in the mid-100’s. We are watering 24 hours per day to keep the garden healthy. The heat is taking its effect, but so far we have not lost too many plants. Even with the heat, the garden continues to put on its beautiful display of color. We try to get out in the more comfortable times of the day to enjoy its gift us.
Cherry Allee
Heatherwood Early Summer
Two weeks ago, I posted a similar image with the start of our perennial bloom. In the time that has passed since then, the whole Cherry Allee is full of summer blooms. As the summer progresses, some blooms will fade, others will take their place. The nickname for this perennial bed is “Bright and Shiny”. It fits its name.
Early Morning Glow
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Nothing is better than an early morning stroll through the garden to start a new day. The early morning sunlight filters through the leaves of the deciduous trees and shrubs. It sparkles around the edges of the conifers. The garden bursts out in life. As I look east through the garden, I feel the gentle morning sun on my face. I take deep breaths and become one with the nature that surrounds me. Today is going to be a great day!!!
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.
Up Through the Garden to the Ridge
Heatherwood Late Spring
Bright blue skies, ground covers in bloom, yarrow ready to bloom … summer is right around the corner. Our Heatherwood garden is starting to burst out in bloom everywhere. Temperatures are in the 70’s approaching the 80’s. Summer seems to be coming a little early this year.
One of the driving factors when I purchased our Selah property was the surrounding ridge. It feels a little like we are in the center of a half circle amphitheater. Looking through the garden, the ridge stands above acting like a guardian. It is a wonderful backdrop leading up to the bright eastern Washington blue skies. As I gaze up at it, my mind wanders to contemplate the wonders of nature and what is good about the world around us.
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!