“Autumn Brilliance”
Heatherwood Lower Yard
This image was taken only one week ago. Most of the color is now muted as the overnight temperatures continue to drop. Leaves are turning brown and falling. Winter is getting closer every day.
“Scarlet Oak”
Heatherwood Oak Grove
The autumn color on our scarlet oak just did not turn to the bright red as it has in past years. Just as the color started to change, we had a cold snap with temperatures dropping below 20 degrees. The color change stopped at orange. This fall has been quite different. Many of our trees still have green leaves while others have dropped all their leaves. Some of our maples are half red and half green. I think the trees are all mixed up.
‘Cherry Allee”
Heatherwood, Mid-Autumn
Our first light snow dusting is over. The sky is as blue as it can be. It’s a beautiful and crisp mid-autumn day. There is no better place to be than strolling through the garden.
The perennials in Mary’s “bright & shiny” garden are spent, but still have a hint of their summer color. Their textures and shapes still provide a lot of interest. I don’t have the heart to cut them back. Besides, the spent flower heads leave seeds for the birds as well as spread seeds to make a fuller garden for next year. I will wait until early spring to cut them back.
The leaves on the Pink Flair cherries are turning to their dark red mid-autumn color. It won’t be too long before the branches will be bare. Winter is not too far away.
“Snow Dusted”
Heatherwood Meadow
A light dusting of snow amplifies the contrast of textures in our garden’s meadow. The shapes of the spent flowers and leaves pop out. The oranges, golds, and browns of the grasses are framed by the white of the snow dusting. The bright green of the lawn grass in hidden providing a contrast to the meadow areas.
“First Snowfall of the Season”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
I woke up on Election Day to see a few snowflakes fall. I sat in my office gazing out the window watching the snow start to collect on the ground. I had a quick cup of coffee, grabbed my camera, and took a jaunt in the garden. The snow continued to fall for about 30 minutes while I was outside. By the time I finished it had already started to melt. After a bowl of cereal, I looked outside and the snow was gone.
Even a little dusting of snow changes the feeling of the garden. Some plants really pop out, while other small ground covers become quickly hidden. I enjoy trying to catch small changes in the garden. They brighten my days!
“Rock Garden”
Heatherwood Autumn
Heatherwood’s rock garden is full of color now. But, it will go through more color change as fall progresses into winter. The leaves of the deciduous shrubs will fall exposing bright red dogwood branches and purple elderberry and nine bark branches. Some of the conical shaped shrubs will turn from green to golden bronze. Other conifers will turn to yellow. The ice plant ground covers will turn to a bright orange while some of the thymes will turn yellow. The blues and dark greens of other conifers will provide a subtle contrast. There is much more to come!
“Rock Garden & Beyond”
Heatherwood Autumn
A vignette opens before my eyes.
A rainbow of color appears .
The glory of nature warms my heart.
“Japanese Garden Waterfall Hillside”
Heatherwood Autumn
This week Heatherwood seems to be at its peak in color. The temperatures are dropping below freezing at night. Leaves are rapidly falling. Small patches of ice have formed at the edges of the waterfall. Is it time to turn off the water to the main falls and prepare the pond for winter?
Nah, I think I can wait a few more days until all the leaves have dropped. It is still just too beautiful to turn off.
“Lower Lawn”
Heatherwood Autumn
Our autumn color is changing so fast. Last night the temperature dropped down into the mid-20’s. This morning, two of three of our ginkgos dropped all their leaves. We have one left that still has not turned yellow yet. For the next several days, I will need to photograph both in the morning and in the afternoon to create a record of our fall garden.
“The Path Around the House”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
This little path leads from our back patio to the front entryway of our house. It is always a nice little diversion to walk along. In the morning, light softly filters through the trees to the path. The backlit leaves are stunning. On a summer afternoon, the area is in shade. It is one of the few areas in Heatherwood where we can grow shade plants.
This area is where I first started developing a little Japanese inspired garden. The dark purple Japanese maple in the upper left is the first tree I planted when I moved back to Selah in 2016. The next year, we started work on the surrounding area, building the path and adding a few trees along it. Each subsequent year, we have added a little more. We are now at the stage where we need to do a little transplanting to optimize the design as well as add a few more shade plants as the trees grow and provide more shade. A garden is never finished!