Popping in the Spring

The Koi Garden makes use of a lot of plants associated with Japanese gardens. Cherry trees, Maples and Heathers are all part of the mix. I especially like the lace leaf and dwarf varieties of the Maples. Also the Coral Bark Maple is especially striking. The red bark seems to get more intense when the winter is a cold one. We also have a section exclusively of Roses, including some ground cover roses. For the vertical spaces, we have a few varieties of Akebia (Deep Purple, Purple Rose and Silver Bells). I have been told that putting multiple varieties of Akebia together allows for them to generate sweet fruit that can be used for Jams. I will try to focus on each of those as they start coming into their fancy time. This early in the season, we have some pretty Pieris. Look for some close up of the nice bells.

I am also trying to learn about and try some varieties of Bonsai plants. Look for some write ups about those efforts in the future.

This shot is a picture of the buds on a Weeping Cherry we have on the border of the garden. I am expecting some really nice shots of these in the upcoming days as this Cherry blooms.

The Flowering Pieris provide a nice close up opportunity. I have used a low F Stop for a shorter field of vision. This blurs the background of anything only a few feet behind the subject. This technique is great for photography in city gardens and especially fun when you want to highlight small things these delicate bells.

Mediterranean Heather provides a nice purple pop of color at the ground level. Due to the frost damage this winter, we have culled some of the plants that had problems with the freezing temperatures. This has allowed us to add more of these beauties. Again, move the F Stop down and have some fun with the blurred backgrounds.

This shot is of a Coral Barked Maple. It is about 7 or 8 feet tall but still in a larger pot we have located near the Koi pond. We hope to get a few more years of life of this tree in a larger pot. If we move to another place, we can bring this tree along with us. If not, we will have to rearrange the Koi Garden to find a place for this favorite. This particular variety has some gorgeous, delicate leaves that I will highlight in future sessions.