Kotoji Japanese Lantern and Stream
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The temperatures are getting cooler. The colors are getting brighter. Its time to stroll through the garden every day to enjoy the beauty of fall while it lasts.
Pond from Above
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The chairs next to the pond are a great place to relax and enjoy our Heatherwood Japanese garden. Frequently we start our day with a cup of coffee looking across the pond to the waterfalls above. In the late afternoon during a summer day it is great to enjoy a glass of wine or other beverage to mark the end of a work day. In the spring and fall when the harsh sun in not beating down, it is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy nature any time of the day.
A few days ago, we enjoyed sitting here and recalling good times with a wonderful long-term friend. We shared a bottle of wine that we had previously purchased on a road trip together a couple of years ago. These were precious moments.
Under the Crabapple Tree
Heatherwood Early Autumn
The above intimate scene is Mary’s creation. As we have been developing Heatherwood, Mary has become quite a learning gardener. Moving from a small city lot with just a few shrubs and roses to a 4-acre plot, she has been with me as we designed and constructed our Heatherwood garden. Each day she learns a little bit more and becomes deeper involved. This year she selected a few annuals and planted them underneath a couple of trees in our Japanese garden area. They grace key areas and add extra interest. They are show stoppers as we walk through the garden.
Thank you Mary!
Entry to Pond and Waterfalls
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
As one walks along Heatherwood’s garden entry path, he/she can hear the sound of rushing water. The pathway, landscape form, trees, and shrubs focus the view up toward the hills above. Where is the sound coming from? A surprise awaits our visitor as they turn the corner to the pond sitting area.
It has been fun creating a design that is full of little surprises and in addition will make an interesting photograph.
Path of Knowledge
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
I love to learn about life and the world around me. I constantly search out new things, ideas, and endeavors. My overall life’s theme is a never ending journey of acquiring an understanding of what surrounds me.
Japanese gardens are characterized by the placement of rocks and plants to symbolize a theme or an idea. As we designed our Heatherwood Japanese garden area, I attempted to create a few life themes. The one depicted above attempts to represent my overall theme of a path to a never ending journey of knowledge. The rock in the lower right corner represents a student just starting the journey. The additional four large rocks represent steps on the path. They curve up and lead up to the ridge above, and then up to the sky. I am a practical person, so I built a simple path paralleling the rock steps which is much easier for me to traverse.
Stream & Pond Edge
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
We continually add young plants to our Heatherwood garden. A year ago, we planted two Japanese maples next to our stream and pond area. The one on the right side of the image is a Ryu Sei. It will grow about 4-6 ft. tall then weep down onto the stream’s edge. The one on the top left of the image is a Scolopendrifolium, commonly called a Fingerleaf Japanese maple. It will grow to about 5 feet tall and form an umbrella over the Yukimi Japanese lantern. Our design intent is to create a naturalistic environment where plants, rocks, water, and structures all blend together to develop a peaceful feeling.
Each year we watch how the plants mature as well as add a few new plants to fill in some of the bare areas. Slowly and patiently we enjoy how the garden gets closer and closer to our vision. Now, we will grab our morning coffee and sit by the stream.
‘Japanese Garden Waterfall in IR’
Heatherwood Summer
I am working hard to learn and experiment what makes an interesting infrared image. I look for contrasts that infrared will highlight. In this image the infrared pulls out the greens and yellows of the trees and shrubs surrounding the dark shade of the pond, rocks, and sky. The reflections from the water makes the stream flowing over the rocks and the ripples on the pond stand out.
‘Yukimi Japanese Lantern’
Heatherwood Summer
I hear falling water and turn a corner. A flash appears beneath the branches of a Purple Ghost Japanese maple. I bend over and take a peek. The early morning sun backlights the falling water, reflects from the pond, and graces the top of the Yukimi lantern. A gift of the coming day.
‘Bridge Over Waterfall’
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Looking back four years ago when we constructed the stream, I recall the effort it took to place this rock over the stream. I took an experienced excavator operator and three men to finagle this huge rock in place over the stream bed. It consumed the good part of an afternoon to place smaller rocks as its base and meticulously position the bridge. It was worth it!
Since then, we have been planting trees, shrubs, and ground covers to soften the edge of the stream. After four years, plants are growing over the rocks down to the flowing water. We frequently sit and have our morning coffee here and enjoy the maturing scenery and listen to the flowing water and the birds sing. It is a great way to start the day!
Backlit Cork Tree
Heatherwood Spring
Our young cork tree stands out as the early morning sun backlights its light green leaves. The cork tree is one of our more recent additions to the Japanese section of our garden. We are gradually adding taller-growing trees which will eventually add shade to the Japanese garden. Even though it is now only about ten feet tall, it is already adding interest to the garden. Someday it will grow to 30-40 feet tall and gracefully spread shade through the garden.