Necking Down

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“Zelkova Neck”
Heatherwood Lower Lawn

One way we separate parts of Heatherwood is to narrow a section of our lawn down to create a pathway between sections. We have placed various shrubs and trees to develop chute or tunnel-like divisions. For this “neck” we have planted a hedge of spirea which will mature at about 4 feet wide and high. In addition, we have added two Wireless Zelkova trees to anchor separation. When they mature, their top branches will flow over the lawn and meet, creating a tunnel like feeling. The two lawn areas will be shielded from each other. A garden stroller will move from one open lawn area through the tunnel to a new surprise as the the view again opens up to a different part of the garden.

It will take years for Heatherwood’s plantings to reach the mature state that is described above. I close my eyes and smile as I dream about my vision of what the garden will be. But most important, I open my eyes, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment of the wonderful surroundings and search for what is around the next bend.

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Octopi, Octopodes, or Octopuses

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“Blooming Ninebark”
Heatherwood Late Spring

These two Coppertina Ninebark with their flower-laden flowing branches remind me of a pair of Octopodes … or should I say Octopi, or is it Octopuses. All three terms are frequently used, but only one is correct. Octopuses is the correct term. Mary is an English teacher and does not appreciate when I misspell a word. She constantly advises me to “Look it up!” So I did and learned the correct usage.

On a breezy day, the branches flow magically back and forth in the wind. It makes me feel like the garden is alive with monsters hiding around the bends of the pathways.

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Transition

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“Lower Patio Garden”
Heatherwood Spring

The lower patio garden transitions a visitor from the rock garden shown in my previous post to the central meadow. Plants in the lower patio garden replicate those in both the rock garden and meadow. Ground covers and shrubs present in the rock garden are planted in the steeper parts of the patio garden. Perennials and grasses found in the meadow are planted in the flatter areas. In addition, a couple of trees help transition the view to the crabapple grove further below.

The different areas of Heatherwood are designed to flow into one another working together to provide a common theme. One of the challenges we face every day is where to sit and enjoy a morning cup of coffee, an afternoon beverage, or just a peaceful relaxing moment.

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Back to Heatherwood

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“Rock Garden Hillside”
Heatherwood Late Spring

After exploring another garden, it is always good to come back home and see what is happening here at Heatherwood. This is especially true in late spring when it feels like the garden is going to burst out in full bloom at any moment.

This rock garden area separates the lawn at the house level from the lawn and meadow below, which I used to refer to as the “Lower 40”. A path, edged with basalt boulders, winds down back and forth from the upper to the lower lawn. Various creeping thymes, cotoneasters, and sedums fill in between the rocks and onto the recessed gravel pathway. Other perennials and evergreen shrubs provide contrast and stability to the garden. We constructed and planted this area only two springs ago. It is hard to believe how fast it is filling in.

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Heatherwood Has Some of These

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“Variegated Red Twig Dogwood”
Heronswood, Kingston, WA

We have several of these variegated red twig dogwoods scattered through our Heatherwood garden. We even have some with grasses tucked in front (or back) surrounded by various evergreens. The big difference between the two gardens is that Hersonswood is a mature garden while Heatherwood is an infant. Heronswood’s plants flow into one another creating a solid mass of color and texture. At Heatherwood, most of our plants are separate from each other. We still have several years to go before the plants blend together. Patience is our challenge.

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Handkerchiefs Scattered on the Ground

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“Dove Tree Bracts”
Heronswood, Kingston, WA

Many people seeing these white handkerchief-looking things lying on the ground and shrubs do not have any idea what they are. Getting closer, they look like a large white leaf. They aren’t. They are actually flower bracts from a Dove tree (Davidia involucrata).

I first encountered a Dove tree, sometimes called a Handkerchief tree, on a garden tour in Pennsylvania. Karen and I became transfixed on a huge tree with all of these handkerchief-looking things hanging down. A breeze came up and the air was filled with handkerchiefs fluttering down. It was quite a sight. We made notes to put it on our “bucket list” to add to our Fountainville garden. We never found one.

When I started to establish my wish list for my Selah garden, I chose several of Karen and my favorite trees. A Dove tree was one of those on the top of my list. I still have not located one in our Central Washington local area. When I saw this tree at Heronswood, my interest perked up again. I think I have just the right spot for one in our woodland garden.

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Welcome to the Forest

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“Alder Grove”
Heronswood, Kingston, WA

This bright little alder grove welcomed me into Heronswood’s dark timber forest dominated by tall western cedars. Filtered light trickled through the whitish-grey tree trunks down to the lush green forest floor. A pink rhododendron provided an additional highlight. The forest called out “Welcome!”

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A Hidden Gem

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“Original Entryway”
Heronswood, Kingston, WA

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Heronswood on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington. A visit to Heronswood has been on my bucket list since the late 1990’s. I finally made it and my parting thought was, “I can’t wait to come back again.”

Heronswood has somewhat of a turbulent history. Dan Hinkley and Robert Jones started their adventure with Heronswood in 1987. It started off as their private garden, but soon took on the dimension of a speciality nursery. Hinkley traveled around the world searching out rare and unusual plants that could be grown in the Pacific Northwest environment. Over time, they had a robust business shipping plants to all 50 states as well as Europe and Asia.

In 2000, Hinkley and Jones sold Heronswood to W. Atlee Burpee and Company. Six months after Burpee’s acquisition, they filed Chapter 11. By 2006, Burpee closed down the garden and nursery and released the staff of experienced and dedicated workers. The next six years, the garden was left to deteriorate through neglect. Talking to one of the loyal visitors during my visit, she referred to this period as the “Dark Years.”

In 2012, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe purchased Heronswood and initiated its rebirth. During the “Dark Years” several of the rare species were lost, but many collections were salvageable. Hinkley was brought back in as Director Emeritus. With him he brought back many new plants from recent world wide travels. The current dedicated staff is committed to take Heronswood into the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at Heronswood. I came back with many ideas and concepts that I would like to incorporate into our own Heatherwood, once we get a little more shade.

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What is Beauty?

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“Full Moon Japanese Maple and Fern”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden

What is beauty? Beauty is hard to explain. Everyone has their own perspective of what beauty is. Beauty applies to all five senses. I am a visual person, so seeing beauty is my dominant perspective. It lies in the vision of a grand vista of a natural landscape or in small vignettes of companion plants like in the above image. It can be a large architectural structure or a small piece of sculpture. It can be man-made or nature or a combination of both. It can be a person or an inanimate object. As I keep my mind and eyes open, I can find some kind of beauty everywhere I look.

Many times when I see beauty, I stop and contemplate. My other senses then kick in, and I notice the beautiful feeling of a breeze on my cheek or the sounds of a gurgling stream. I can smell the wonderful aroma from a street food cart as I look up at a skyscraper or from the scent of a flower as I walk through a garden. I can see the beauty of a young mother holding her young child and feel the love between them. Beauty is a gift that surrounds us at all times. Enjoy the moment!

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