Late January, heather-conifer garden.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Crimson Queen', January. This tree is about 20 years old.

Winter color and texture in the heather-conifer garden

Path through conifers in lower garden, January.

Arbor and Stone Path

Don't be discouraged if you have rocky soil. Put those stones to use! The rocks used in our shady path came out of the flowerbeds on either side. Backbreaking, but worth it in the end...

Use of Color and Texture

One winter we had "The Siberian Express" blow through our nursery. When all was said and done, we lost about 50,000 potted plants. We dumped them all (amidst tears) over a slope below the house, and Mother Nature created a very nice composted base for the Heather Garden, which was planted five years later. The heathers and heaths flow downwards in large drifts of color and texture, contrasting with the many intermingled dwarf conifers.

Forest Frame

Our garden is framed with a native forest of Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedars and Western Hemlocks. We try to use lots of foliage color and texture to stand out against the natural green background.

The heather-conifer garden

Heathers and conifers naturally go together, creating a quilted pattern of colors, textures and shapes.

The Sunken Garden

Our sunken garden is a mixture of perennials, evergreen and deciduous shrubs. It is framed with a half circle of sheared Canadian hemlock.

Mixed Planting

This spot behind the house was the first to be planted. A friend was cleaning out her perennial bed and gave us a truckload of "starts." We planted them with no particular design in mind. Over the years, we have added, deleted, and planted trees and shrubs. Every season this area looks a little bit different. The "ever-changing" garden!