“Pink Dogwood”
Heatherwood Spring
As one fades, another springs forward. Our pink dogwoods are now in full bloom! Spring glory is everywhere we turn in Heatherwood. The pink dogwoods were one of the few trees that were already here when I moved back to Selah in 2016. Each year they are getting a bit larger and more profuse in blooms. They welcome us home as we drive up to the house.
“Cherokee Daybreak Dogwood”
Heatherwood Autumn
Several of our flowering dogwoods have transitioned to their full autumn glory. This species is one of my favorite. Its variegated leaves are gorgeous. In the spring breaks out in light pink with white edges. It transitions to green with white edges in the summer. Then in the fall it bursts out in deep magenta with pink edges. It is a brilliant star in Heatherwood’s Japanese garden.
“Dogwoods & Redbuds”
Heatherwood Woodland Garden
One of my fondest memories of the rural Virginia countryside is the springtime bloom of the native dogwoods and redbuds. They were such a beautiful contrast of purplish pink and white that abounded along the country roads in the Virginia woodland areas. I remember the beautiful drives from Fairfax down to Jefferson’s Monticello and the trips along Skyline Drive.
Here at Heatherwood in Eastern Washington, we are trying to create a similar feeling in our woodland garden. Our first challenge is to select trees that will withstand the harsh summer sun. Both dogwoods and redbuds are understory trees that flourish under the canopies of taller trees. We have taken the risk of planting taller trees simultaneously with the dogwoods and redbuds. The second challenge is to select the dogwoods that will bloom at the same time as the redbuds. The eastern dogwoods and redbuds bloom together. However the Eastern dogwood is susceptible to anthracnose which we do not want to have. Thus, we are experimenting with different species of Kousa dogwoods to match the early blooming time of the redbuds. Time will tell how successful our efforts will be.
“White Kousa Dogwood”
Heatherwood Spring
Here come the dogwoods joining the blooming crabapples and redbuds. Individually each tree has its unique character. Together they yell out “Its Spring” in our Heatherwood garden!
Over the years, I have become addicted to dogwoods. The first dogwood tree I remember is a small pink one that Dad planted in our yard in the early 60’s. I received my first real appreciation of their collective beauty when we moved back to the Washington, DC area in the early 80’s. We planted a white Florida dogwood as a center piece in our front yard. It was so little when we left. Years later in the late 90’s, I drove by our past home and saw that it had matured into a beautiful tree that had was the star of the front yard. Since then we have planted several dogwoods in our Kent, Woodinville, and Fountainville homes as we moved back and forth between the East and West coasts. And now in Heatherwood, we have planted ten dogwoods. I can’t get enough and plan to plant several more throughout Heatherwood as the years go by.
“Pink Cherokee Chief Dogwood”
Heatherwood Spring
After the early blooming yellow Cornelian Cherry dogwood, our pink Cherokee Chiefs are the next dogwoods to bloom. The sepals are just starting to spread now. In a day or two, I anticipate that they will be in full bloom.
Our two pink dogwoods were here when I first moved to our Selah home in 2016. They greet us as well as visitors as we/they enter our upper driveway.
“Yellow Twig Dogwood & Red Bergenia”
Heatherwood Late Fall
Growing up, my favorite colors from my color crayon box were yellow and red. They were always the first crayons to be used up. It doesn’t surprise me that we have this color combination throughout Heatherwood. The bright red bergenia and the yellow twig dogwood provide an interesting contrast in both color and texture. Now we just need to add green ground cover to complete the vignette.
“Milky Way Dogwood”
Heatherwood Woodland Garden
I remember roaming around the eastern woodlands in Virginia and North Carolina and enjoying the early blooming white dogwoods and redbuds. I can visualize visiting Jefferson’s Monticello with its surrounding eastern woodlands decorated with dogwoods and redbuds. It brings back many wonderful memories.
Here at Heatherwood in Eastern Washington, I am trying to recreate a little of this dream memory. Last year, we planted a redbud grove and a couple of white dogwoods. However the dogwoods were late bloomers and did not coincide with the redbuds. This year we planted two early blooming white dogwoods and have been successful in matching their blooming times. As trees get a little larger, we will add some rhododendrons to complete the scene.
“White and Pink Dogwoods”
Yakima Area Arboretum, Washington
I enjoy walking through gardens and arboretums enjoying their beauty and creative insights. This springtime vignette of contrasting white and pink dogwoods at the Yakima Arboretum triggered my thoughts for future Heatherwood additions. In our garden we currently have seven white dogwoods and two pink dogwoods, all blooming at different times. The whites and the pinks are planted in different parts of the garden. On my future planting list, I will add a few new pink dogwoods to complement the whites.
“Cornelian Cherry Dogwood”
Heatherwood Spring
Early morning sunshine backlit this emerging Cornelian Cherry dogwood blossom. The bright yellow color burst immediately caught my eye as I was taking an early morning stroll with my camera. It started my day with a flash!
The Cornelian Cherry dogwood is the first tree to bloom in our Heatherwood garden. Soon our flowering pear, cherries, and crabapples will be blooming along with other dogwoods and redbuds. This will be the first year that several of our new trees will be in bloom. I will try to keep a record of the sequence that each species bloom.
Dogwoods
Great Smokies National Park, Tennessee
I am still not able to get out and about much, so I thought I would do a little series of some of the National Parks that I have visited over the years. My first entry is from the Great Smokies National Park in Tennessee.
Springtime in the Smokies is a glorious time of the year. Dogwoods are starting to bloom and light green leaves are emerging from the deciduous forests as seen from this image taken near Cades Cove. The early morning lights turn the light green leaves into an almost gold color.
Roaring streams in lush green stream beds with multiple waterfalls grace the park. Wildlife, including black bears, are becoming active. Morning fog covers much of the area and gradually dissolves to present misty vignettes. Distant hills are covered with a misty haze giving rise to their namesake “Smoky” Mountains.