“Hokkeji Lantern & Don Egolf Redbud”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The Don Egolf Redbud is the early spring star of Heatherwood’s Japanese garden entryway. Standing beside the Hokkeji Lantern, they welcome visitors (and us) to stroll along the pathway leading through the garden. The Japanese maples will soon take over as the blossoms of the Don Golf drop.
“Raindrops on Hana Matoi Abstract”
Heatherwood Spring
Yesterday, my post was of individual raindrops on our Hana Matoi Japanese maple. Today’s image is what happened when I added a little motion blur to the image. A little playful creativity can make magic.
Note: the little white curves are individual raindrops.
“Yukimi and Siberian Iris”
Heatherwood Spring
The early spring blooms of the Siberian iris signal that spring is here. This year’s display is much more sparse than previous years. The early hard fall freeze and the late winter snow may have discouraged many of the bulbs from rising above the ground. We will probably need to refresh the area by planting more bulbs this autumn.
The small Japanese maple is forming buds. It will be another 3 to 4 weeks before the leaves burst out. I keep reminding myself, patience, patience, patience!
“Japanese Garden Entry Path”
Heatherwood Winter
Blue skies on a winter day raise my spirit. I walk out our front door and turn to my right and see the glorious blue sky above the sunlit ridge. The warmer temperatures are melting the snow. Trees and shrubs are now free from snow. Ground covers are peeking above the snow-patched ground. The partly snow covered pathways entice me to walk through the garden. As I walk along the path I stop to touch and inspect the various plants that have been under snow for the past six weeks. I look and see new buds forming on the tips of the branches. I continue and stop multiple times to just look around me and contemplate the garden’s beauty and the changes that will emerge as the seasons of the new year progress. My spirts rise.
“Yukimi and Pond”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Between light rain drizzles we had a few hours of sunshine. I grabbed my camera for my first garden excursion of the year. With the rain and above freezing temperatures, our snow is gradually melting. The pond has been free of ice for about a week. During the winter we leave the water flowing in the small stream to provide aeration for our fish. Hopefully they will survive over the winter.
“October Glory Maple & Mountain Lantern”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
This scene is from the top of the garden above our “Perch” sitting area. The leaves of the October Glory are still hanging on. Last year at this time, they had all fallen. They make a nice contrasting interest against the white snow. The yellowish Wintersonne Mugo Pine on the right has not attained its winter color yet. In about a month, it will be bright yellow. Just out of view on the left side of the image is a winterberry holly. In the winter, the leaves will fall, leaving clusters of bright red berries. The combination of other Japanese hollies, winterberry hollies, and green and yellow conifers, along with the Japanese mountain lantern will provide an attractive winter garden vignette. We just need to give it time.
“Looking East”
Heatherwood Snow
I did not have to move far from the spot where I created yesterday’s post for today’s image I took a step or two, then turned toward the East. This image is looking through the northern slope of the Japanese-influenced part of our garden. For this image, I was looking for the contrasts of the snow as well as the subdued winter colors. Again, the biggest contrast is the vegetated garden against the barren background Selah Bluff.
The two red maples in the middle of the image are also a personal interest of mine. They represent a passage of time. The little red Japanese maple in the foreground-left was planted late summer this year as one of our newest additions to the Japanese garden. The larger October Glory maple in the background-right was planted in 2016, the first year that I had moved back to Selah. What a difference in maturity six years makes. It helps me visualize what the garden will look like in the coming years.
“Out My Office Window”
Heatherwood Late Fall
I usually start my day looking out my office window before I begin my daily journal entry. Many times this time of year it is pitch black. But, the sun typically breaches the hills above us by the time I am finished writing. I spend several moments just gazing out the window and contemplating what the new day will bring. It is a peaceful way to start the day and outline my priorities on how to make each day a special one.
This morning, I started thinking how things have changed since I moved back west from the Philadelphia area six years ago. This view was then a hillside of grass with our historical irrigation flume in the background. Now the flume is gone and the grass has been replaced with a Japanese inspired hillside planting area. Ground covers are filling in, defining the paths up the hill. This past year we have added the Japanese maple and a lilac tree to help block the scar on the background hillside created when they tore down the flume last winter. Every year the shrubs and trees get a little larger creating more shade. Ground covers spread over the brown earth. And we still plant a new tree from time to time. Things are always changing … just like life.
“Kotoji & Waterfall Ice”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
A couple more days with sub-freezing temperatures and the waterfall is freezing over. It is now time to turn the stream off before the water overflows the stream bed. It is an indicator for the garden to take its winter nap. It will be about 3 to 3 1/2 months before we start our spring clean-up and turn the water back on. Now is the time to rest and plan for the upcoming year. Weather permitting, we will continue our strolls through the garden, enjoying the winter garden color and contrasts.
“Kotoji and Stream”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
We are entering the last month of autumn. Temperatures have dropped down into the teens at night. We have already had our first dusting of snow and are expecting a little flurry today. It’s almost time to turn the main waterfall off for the season. Every time I walk by our pond and waterfall this time of year, I say to myself that I should turn off the water. Then I think, one more week.
I love to gaze at our waterfall and listen to the sound of the water falling into the pond. I have a difficult time shutting the main stream down for the winter. We do keep our side stream going to help aerate the pond and keep it oxygenated for the fish. At least we have a little flow action and noise over the next 3-4 months. We turn the water back on when we start our spring clean-up in March.
So maybe, I will turn the waterfall off today … or not.