Showing posts with label japanese maple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label japanese maple. Show all posts

Monday, November 2, 2009

I Love Fall Mornings!

We had a glorious weekend in Northern California! The mornings were crisp & cool, the afternoons golden & warm. With the exception of time change (UGH!) it was perfect!

This morning, I walked out onto the back deck and it was the beauty of the morning sent me rushing for my camera.

The sight of the cattle in the neighbor's pasture...




The sun filtering through the almond tree...




The sight of the dew on the lawn...





AND...the newest addition to our garden! Acer Palmatum - Tobiosho! My very own Japanese Maple! One that will tolerate full sun and the dry heat of the Sacramento area. This gorgeous tree is the result of a couple of days spent at one of my favorite places in the world! More about that in another post! Just let it be said that the sight of this tree in my yard makes my heart skip a beat or two!!

I'm going to have a hard time not sitting on the deck all day just admiring this tree!

Happy Monday! Chris

Monday, March 24, 2008

The Gardening Bug!

It is time for a new garden! When we put the addition on to our master bedroom, it created an area that is shady all day! I am thrilled! Now, I can have a few plants that were never going to make it through the summer in our sometimes scorching heat!

The space is right outside the guest bedroom windows. Which by the way, I have decided would be a wonderful place for French doors. What a lovely thing for my guests, a “secret garden” to enjoy!



Above, is Japanese Maple "Corallinum". What you see in the picture is its spring foliage. It then turns to green in summer & crimson in fall! I'll be looking for this one!

I am envisioning a Japanese maple, hostas & ferns, and maybe even lily of the valley & English violas. It will be a cooler, shady retreat from the high summer sun. We even have a pond form just waiting to go into the ground. Could there be some Koi in my future? I certainly know our resident frogs will enjoy it!



I don't know the name of this pink Lily of the Valley. I had the photo saved in a "favorites" folder. I hope to find it too!



This English Viola is called "Etain" and it is gorgeous. It is available from a local nursery, so I should have no trouble getting my hand on it!



Hopefully, this beautiful hosta, named "American Icon" will find a place in the garden too!

We’ll have to fence it since the deer will dine on the hostas and the critters that prowl around at night will be after any fish in the pond. For that matter, we may need to put a net over it. The egrets & herons will be eyeing the fish too! Okay, maybe fish aren’t a good idea…I still like the idea of bamboo or reed fencing. It will suit the style I have in mind AND serve to discourage unwanted visitors.

Then there’s the matter of the big, ugly air conditioner condenser that sits against the wall. When I mentioned to my husband that we should move it, I got a sideways glance. I think it is going to stay, so I’d better be thinking of some kind of screen!

I am going to measure & lay out the space on graph paper and start planning today! More “adventures in the dirt” to follow soon!

Cheers! Chris