“Shin Deshojo Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Spring
During the last two weeks, our Heatherwood Japanese Maples have been opening their leaves in a glorious burst of spring color. This Shin Deshojo graces our sitting area next to the pond. Its striking pinkish red color steals the show as we enter the sitting area.
We have another Shin Deshojo next our house. It has a story of its own to be told.
“Crabapple Collection”
Heatherwood Spring
Right behind the redbuds blooming come the crabapples. This sequence forces Mary and I to make a hard decision, “Where do we sit to enjoy our morning cup of coffee, the woodland with the blooming redbuds or the SE corner where we can enjoy flowering crabapples?” Tough choice!
Spring here in Eastern Washington is a glorious time of the year. Things are changing every day. A daily walk through our garden always brings a new surprise. We enjoy every moment and are grateful for Nature’s wonderful gifts!
“Blooming Redbuds”
Heatherwood Woodland Garden
This post is for my friend, J. Charles. Like you, I love redbuds. These are four of nine in our woodland garden area. We have three more scattered around other parts of the garden. When we lived in Virginia, the surround hills were decorated with native eastern redbuds and dogwoods in early spring. They usually bloomed before the other native trees leafed out. In our woodland grove, we also have five dogwoods. However, only one is an early bloomer that bursts out at the same time as the red buds.
Here is another image for your enjoyment! We have an Adirondack settee located where this image is taken. Its a great place for a morning cup of coffee, an afternoon glass of wine, or just a relaxing place to get out of the afternoon sun.
“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.
“Serviceberries in Full Bloom”
Heatherwood Spring
These multi-stemmed serviceberries frame in a peek into our upper yard and Japanese garden. The pink phlox provides a little contrast to trap my eye. Their bloom is short lived. This image was created about a week ago. Today most of the blossoms have dropped off and cover the ground with little white petals.
As the serviceberry blossoms disappear, my attention moves on and now focuses on Heatherwood’s redbuds and crabapples. Stay tuned …
“Emerging Serviceberry Bud”
Heatherwood Spring
As our early cherries start to bloom, the serviceberries start putting forth these funny-looking things. They soon will turn into sets of blossoms and leaves. In a few days, the emerging bud will unfurl as shown in the following image.
“Pink Flair Cherries”
Heatherwood Cherry Allee
Eight Pink Flair Cherries are enough to provide a border for Heatherwood’s Cherry Allee. The Pink Flairs break out in bloom shortly after the Akebono cherries in our spring garden. They, along with the yellow twig dogwoods planted between, frame our “Bright and Shiny” perennial bed. Spring is well on its way!
“Akebono Cherry”
Heatherwood Spring
Soon after the daffodils start to bloom, our Akebono cherry trees start to break out in blossoms. Heatherwood has several different types of flowering cherries. Some are early bloomers like the Akebono and some flower 3-4 weeks later. Throughout the garden we have 18 cherry trees. Most are single trees spaced out in different parts of the garden. Others are grouped together to form an allee.
“Daffodil Sea”
Heatherwood Spring
I am always trying to create an image that reflects what I see and feel when our sea of daffodils are in full bloom. This view is from the southeast corner of our property looking north to the surround hills and a couple of our neighbor’s homes. The daffodils are planted in a grove of crabapples. We still researching for a ground cover solution for the grove when the daffodils have expired.
As I walk around the daffodil bed and focus on the mass of blooms, I get a little dizzy. With a little help from my camera, my vision appears.
“Daffodil Dizziness”
“Daffodils and Meadow”
Heatherwood Spring
Where have I been? It has been over two weeks since my last post. A lot of things have been happening here at Heatherwood. I will try to catch up in my next several posts.
Our sea of daffodils have peaked and are starting to fade. They are still attractive at a distance but are starting to get a little tired and hanging their heads. The perennials in the meadow area are poking their new foliage above ground. Some of the grasses are starting to grow, while others are waiting for warmer weather. The red twig dogwoods in the background of the above image are just now starting to get their first leaves. Overall, it seems like we are 2-3 weeks behind a normal year.