“Lower Falls View”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
As I walk along our garden path, this is one of my favorite vignettes. Looking up the hillside, Japanese maples, various evergreens, and the Kotoji frame in the rushing stream above the pond. Each season brings different color and form to this little view. Each year the trees and shrubs grow and provide a fuller picture. Only four years ago this hillside was simply covered with grass and was a &%#&!? to mow!
“Kotoji & Orangeola Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The Kotoji and Orangeola Japanese Maple are the guardians of Heatherwood’s stream and waterfalls. The Orangeola’s first breakout of leaves is a robust red. In mid-summer it transitions into a burgundy and green color. Then in the fall, it bursts out into a spectacular orange. Over time the Orangeola will grow and drape over the Kotoji.
This image illustrates some of our spring planting this year. Across the stream, white and pink phlox and kinnikinnick are starting to cover the ground. Siberian cypresses planted on both sides of the stream will gradually grow and flow down over the rocks to the stream. Some day, years from now, our Heatherwood Japanese garden will be filled with complementary vegetation from the ground to the sky. In the mean time, we will enjoy each day watching the garden grow.
“Shin Deshojo & Kotoji”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The Japanese Maples are finally leafing out! It may be my lack patience, but our Japanese maples seem to be late in leafing out this year. Their leaves are still in their opening phase, but it looks like all our Japanese maples made it through the bitter cold weather we had earlier this spring.
The Shin Deshojo is one of my favorite Japanese maples. I first saw one in a good friend’s yard in Seattle and fell in love with it. A little later my friends and I were walking through the Washington Arboretum and saw a mature Shin Deshojo in full spring glory. It was breath taking. A couple years later when my friends came to visit, they had a wonderful surprise for me. They brought me their Shin Deshojo as a gift for my fledgling Japanese garden. It struggled a couple of years during its transition from the mild Seattle climate to the harsh dry Yakima area. But it has survived and is now doing well. I added my second Shin Deshojo as our cornerstone tree when we built our waterfall and pond. It proudly graces our sitting area next to the pond.
“The Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
I have posted several images of our Heatherwood Japanese garden waterfall over the last couple of years. This angle is one of my favorite perspectives. Last year, we built two stepping stone paths leading to this intersecting view point.
The sound of the falling water draws my attention up the hillside. My eyes stop and pause at the Kotoji lantern before they continue to move to the Mountain lantern where they pause again. After the pause, they move to the yellow Chief Joseph lodgepole pine and pink phlox and then back down to the lower waterfall. And then they start to make a counterclockwise move up and around the hill again.
“Kotoji Guardian”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The Kotoji patiently waits for Spring to come. Soon water will be flowing down the stream he protects. Leaves will emerge from the surrounding Japanese maples. Ground covers will anchor his position as he watches over the rushing water at his feet.
“View From the Perch”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Before settling down in the “Perch’s” Adirondack settee, our visitor takes a few moments to enjoy the scene that folds out below. From here, the stroller can view the Selah-Yakima gap, the rural Selah valley and rolling hills, and the Heatherwood landscape as a background to the Japanese garden stream and waterfalls. The dense cloud cover provides a contrast to the normally bright blue summer skies of the Yakima Valley. It is now time to sit down, relax, and enjoy a little peace with the rushing water and the song of birds providing nature’s wonderful music.
This posting is the conclusion for our stroller’s walk through Heatherwood’s Japanese Garden. There is much more to see and enjoy, but those will be left for a future stroll.
“Path to the Kotoji”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Our stroller continues the walk to the top of the path. A stepping stone path beckons one to a sitting rock by the stream across from the Kotoji Japanese lantern. Sitting on the rock next to the stream, a visitor can dangle their fingers in the flowing water as they gaze down and enjoy the water rushing down the hillside.
Today, our stroller decides not to walk down to the stream. Instead they look to the left and see a comfortable Adirondack settee calling them to take a rest and look over the Japanese garden and surrounding countryside.
“The Perch”
“Delma’s Gift”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
This small Japanese lantern and the rock marks a division in Heatherwood’s Japanese garden. Which path do I follow? Do I take the easy path toward the sound of the water? Or do I venture up a curving path to explore up above? Each path has its own little surprises. Take your choice …
“Orangeola & Kotoji Abstract”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Today is a very special day full of sweet and happy memories of the past. Many times we spent the day walking through gardens around the areas where we lived. On our adventures, we were always keeping our eyes and mind open to observe the beauty surrounding us, both natural and man-made. We collected ideas on what we could bring home to our own garden.
Other years we would explore various garden centers and purchase new additions for our garden. We couldn’t wait to plant the new acquisitions. Here at Heatherwood, I have been able to draw on these previous experiences to develop a Japanese-influenced garden in part of our property. Strolling through Heatherwood takes me back to prior wonderful memories and stimulates me to enjoy the present and look forward to bright future days.
“Kotoji, Waterfall, & Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
I keep coming back to this view in our Heatherwood Japanese garden. The Japanese maples continuously change in color, shape, and texture through the revolving seasons. In time they will flow over the stream’s edge becoming one with it. The Kotoji Japanese lantern acts like a guardian over the stream stabilizing the scene with its graceful legs .
The Guardian
A Japanese maple gently bends,
Shielding the flowing stream,
As the guarding Kotoji overlooks.