Grass Abstract
Heatherwood Winter
I saw a mass of snow-covered ornamental grasses along our garden path. I attempted multiple times to create an interesting image without much luck. I decided to play a little and came up with this abstract. Something different for a cold winter day.
Chief Joseph #2
Heatherwood Winter
Chief Joseph #2 is our visual target at the end of our Japanese Garden pathway. Because of their seasonal interest, we have placed them at strategic places in the garden. Chief Joseph #1 shown in an earlier post, is located at the corner of a bend in our upper Japanese garden pathway. It is the focal point walking both up and down from Heatherwood’s Perch.
Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine
Heatherwood Winter
In its winter glory the Chief Joseph pine is one of our winter garden stars. Its bright yellow winter color makes it stand out among the other conifers. We enjoyed this little star so much, we added two more in different parts of our Heatherwood garden. In summer it turns back to its green color as it merges back with the other surrounding conifers.
Today is our first real snow of the year. It looks like I will need to get out the snow plow tomorrow morning.
Color in the Woodland
Heatherwood Woodland Garden
Heatherwood’s woodland is slowly maturing. Four years ago this area was a grass covered lawn. We first started converting the lawn by removing the grass and planting about 30 trees. Some were tall canopy trees others were understory trees. We then started adding shrubs and ground covers. Now the woodland is starting to take shape.
Throughout the woodland garden area, we added deciduous shrubs and trees that are characterized by their winter color. This scene is highlighted by the reds and yellows of red and yellow twig dogwoods and white bark of viburnums and redbuds framed by the bronze leaves of a scarlet oak. At the bend of the garden path sits an Adirondack settee, one of our favorite spots for a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon sip of wine.
Sunrise over Lower Garden
Heatherwood Winter
A bright sunrise is a welcomed harbinger of a bright New Year. I look forward to new adventures and new experiences. I look forward to sharing good times with family and friends. Thoughts of new additions to Heatherwood and the Yakima Arboretum dance through my mind. I am anxious to reintroduce myself to my old hobbies that I have let lapse over the last few years. Being and enjoying life with loved ones is always at the top of my list. Each and every day is precious. I hope to live each one to its fullest.
Happy New Year!
Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine
Heatherwood Winter
Even though we do not have snow this Christmas, I can always dream! Christmastime is a time for dreaming. I dream of all the wonderful times we had with Grandma and Grandpap up at the ranch. I dream of the time that Dad stayed up all night putting up the Christmas tree and our first American Flyer train. We kids could hardly contain ourselves on Christmas morning when we could not come out of the bedroom until Pop finished helping Santa to get the train running. I remember the wonderful years when our whole family, Mom, Dad, we kids, Grandma, Grandpap, aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered together at our Hillcrest home for Christmas Dinner. I smile as I remember how our family grew and we watched all our nieces and nephews energetically opening their presents. Many times when Karen and I were in the Washington, DC and Philadelphia areas, we could not make it home for Christmas. I fondly reflect on those special quiet Christmases. And now as Mary and I enjoy the wonderful Holidays, I dream to the future Christmases with family and friends. And as I dream, I reflect and contemplate on the true meaning of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
The Woodland on a Bright Winter Day
Heatherwood Early Winter
It is hard to believe that it is December 23, just two days before Christmas. Our early snowfall has vanished. Today was an absolutely gorgeous early winter day. The sky was blue. Warm winter sunshine spread across our Heatherwood garden. Even though I had a lot to do inside, I could not help myself from strolling around our little Eden with my camera.
Based on today’s beauty and looking ahead to the forecast, it does not look like we will have a white Christmas. Last year we were blessed with snow. This year we will be blessed with what ever nature will bring. We look forward to a beautiful day filled with family and friends as we reflect upon the wonder of Christmas.
Woodland Path in Late Fall
Woodland Path in Early Spring
I love the four seasons. Above is one of the reasons. In early spring the red buds are bursting and the daffodils are blooming. Leaves on the woodland maples are just starting to emerge. Six months later, the leaves on the red buds have dropped and the leaves on the maples have turned brown and are just starting to drop. The foliage on the perennials have turned brown and are starting to die back. As winter moves in, the branches of the red and yellow twig dogwoods along with the red winterberries will provide winter color to the woodland.
Snow-covered Maple Tree Leaves
Heatherwood Woodland
Our October Glory maples are one of the last trees to display their fall colors and to drop their leaves. The first two light snowfalls this year sprinkled the leaves with patches of white, leaving a beautiful woodland winter scene. Last year, an early heavy snowfall blanketed the branches with a layer of heavy snow. Several large branches bent over and broke, leaving large wholes in the tree’s shapes. This year, we have not seen any damage, yet!
Winter Color
Heatherwood Lower Garden
Even when the ground is covered with snow, the color of Heatherwood shines through. This is one of my favorite intimate scenes in our lower garden. The bronze of the sawtooth oak, the red of the oak leaf hydrangeas, the yellow of the yellow-twig dogwood, the the grey-blue of the blue spruce, the purple-brown of the nine-bark, and the background orange and green highlight the winter garden.
This image was taken during our first snow about a week ago. Today we are getting our second snowfall of the season. It looks like it will be a big one. The good news is that I have my tractor back from its seasonal maintenance check up to plow the driveway. The bad news is that we have not put on our snow tires yet.