“Japanese Maple and Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
This morning’s garden stroll was focused on little vignettes of Japanese maples in our Japanese garden. This is one that I frequently turn to. This maple stands alongside our smaller waterfall. Its shape and green dissectum leaves provide a calm contrast to the rushing water.
“Yukimi and Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Early morning light reflecting off the falling water and pond stopped me dead in my tracks during a stroll through our garden. My mind wanders. I notice how the little Yukimi watches over the fish in the pond and gazes at the sparkling waterfall as in turn the Akebono Cherry gently watches over the lantern.
“Stepping Stones Up to the Perch”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
On this day I decided to take the back path up to the “Perch.” From the entrance of the stone steps, I can see the Adirondack chair and the small mountain lantern. I can hear the sound of a rushing stream, but cannot see anything. A surprise waits at the top.
My mission for this day’s photo excursion was to record a baseline for the state of the Japanese garden before we start our spring planting project. I want to have before and after perspectives of the different vignettes in the garden. Our objective for this area will be to encase the area around the path with various ground covers and maybe a couple of deciduous shrubs.
Since this post talks about the path up to the “Perch”, I decided to change the overall web site header to the surprise at the top of the steps.
“Yukimi & Siberian Iris”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Today is the first day of spring. Early spring bulbs including the Siberian iris and crocuses are in bloom. Daffodil chutes are poking up through the ground. Their blossoms are still a couple of weeks away. The forsythia is blooming along with the first blossoms of the star magnolias and the Cornelian Cherry dogwood. All of the grasses and perennials have been trimmed. The garden spring weeding has been completed. We will celebrate the first day of spring today by pruning our roses.
“Frozen Waterfall”
Heatherwood Winter
The beauty of a trickling partially frozen waterfall is a special gift of a cold winter day.
A flowing trickle,
On a freezing winter day,
Beautiful crystals abound.
“Frozen”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Brrr … We are ending the year with an arctic blast! The temperatures are dropping into the single digits and the highs are hovering around 20 degrees. This year, I have left one of our two waterfalls running into the pond to keep the pond aerated for the fish. A side benefit is a beautiful water-ice feature to accent our winter Japanese garden landscape.
“Akebono Cherry & Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Today, I woke up to a cool, dreary morning … great day for photographing! This newly planted (this spring) Akebono cherry has lost all of its leaves and just looked cold against the flowing waterfall. Black and white captured the feeling.
The Akebono was the first of our cherry trees to transition to its golden yellow fall color. As such, it was also first to loose its leaves. Our Heatherwood garden has sixteen cherry trees. The two Kwansan Cherries and a couple of our weeping cheery trees still have their leaves, the other twelve are now just “stick trees” waiting for winter to come.
“Yukimi Lantern and Waterfall”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
It has been a couple of weeks since my last post. I guess it is time to continue the stroll through the garden.
After exiting the garden path, the visitor walks around a couple of trees and starts to walk up the lawn bordering the Japanese garden. The sound of the rushing waterfall catches his/her attention and they look over their left shoulder and catch this small vignette. As we developed the Japanese garden, we tried to create small windows of interest from various view points. This is one of my favorites.
“Waterfall & Kotoji”
Heaterwood Japanese Garden
Our visitor leans back in the Adirondack chair, his/her head turns from left to right wandering up over the landscape. There is so much to see. But soon the attention focuses on the main waterfall and the Kotoji lantern guarding the stream. The rushing water and roaring sound hold the viewer’s attention. The Japanese maples and surrounding evergreens frame in the waterfall and pond.
Our visitor notices another Adirondack chair up above at the top of the stream. Curiosity arises, “How do I get up there?”
“The Waterfall & Pond”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
Catching a glimpse of the waterfall and hearing the sound increase our visitor picks up the pace around the curving path. The garden opens up and presents its star attraction. It is time for the stroller to catch his/her breathe and sit down in one of the Adirondack chairs to just relax and take in the scene.
This is one of the views we have for our morning cup of coffee and an afternoon toast of wine. Our Japanese Garden stream and pond area is starting to slowly fill in. The shrubs and ground covers we planted are taking hold and covering many of our open areas. This year we added eight trees, multiple shrubs, kinnikinnick, cotoneaster, and thyme around the stream and pond area. In addition, we planted several screen trees and shrubs around the top of the garden to shield the view of our neighbors home from the bottom of the pond area.
Next year, we will continue to add ground covers. Then as the trees get larger and produce a little shade, we plan to add rhododendrons, azaleas. and other shade plants to finish off the Japanese garden. And, I’m sure we will find space for a few more Japanese maples.