Klahanie-our little world

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I made an assembly of my photos to depict a bigger picture of part of our property (closer to the house) in early spring.

We live in wooded area on the Island and behind the iron gate is our driveway, down from main road, which is “hemmed” with lots of big trees and ferns going wild. Because these ferns are evergreen driving down scene stays constant year round and if you’d come down first time you probably would be wondering what is on the end of this tunnel..

…..then the forest opens .

If you’d come for visit in May you will be welcomed with lots of rhododendrons and this pink rhododendron at the end of the driveway would welcome you. There are few more scattered around in front of the house. May is when they bloom and my favorite month of the year. Actually May in my world is all about Rhododendrons Magnolias, Camellias and Dogwoods. I do have a few other spring flowers but somehow they look insignificant and in the shadow of big blowsy flowers of these shrubs and trees.
I planted some but many were inherited.

Closer look:

Right next to it is white rhododendron, also inherited.
Looking to the left is my greenhouse with a viburnum in the foreground.

Detail of white rhododendron.

Our main feature in this area is a Woodspirit carving surrounded by couple of (shocking) red rhododendrons “Taurus” and some Nandina Domestica

There is a Rhododendron ‘Grace Seabrook’ …Taurus’s sister….behind the "spirit"which blooms little later than Taurus.

Most of our rhododendrons bloom in this time (way too many to include in this post.
Along the lawn in the front is:
Rhododendron Hoppy
Yakushimanum hybrid rhododendron and one of the famous seven dwarf series bred at Waterers and no it is not a dwarf specimen .Ours is about 9′ high. It was named after the Seven Dwarfs ( as in Snowhite and seven dwarfs). “Hoppy” was really a “Happy” but was mislabeled at the beginning of its existence. Lavender flowers fading to pure white.

closer look

Rhododendron Blue Peter
Cold hardy rhododendron which also tolerates lots of sunlight and heat. Despite its name It is not quite blue. It is pale violet (lavender) with maroon throat and frilly edges. Individual flowers are large and reminds me of an orchid. Received the Royal Horticulture Society’s Award of Garden Merit in 1993

Rhododendron Blue Peter in detail

Rhododendron Kokardia is a showy rhododendron, pink with a striking red-brown blotch. (Hybridizer – Hans Hacahmann from Germany)

Rhododendron Purple Splendor
Very striking deep royal purple frilled flowers with dark markings in the throat.
by Hybridizer A. Waterer

Rhododendron Blue boy:

Detail:

All these mentioned are positioned in between 3 magnolias,
Stellata(white),
Elizabeth(yellowish )
and Susan(pink)
Sadly, they are not all blooming at the same time.

Magnolia Stellata blooms first (in April-early May)

Magnolia Susan and magnollia Elizabeth bloom when Stellata is fading.The pinkish Susan on the right is fragrant on the warm spring evening and its pink hue is very soothing.

Magnolia Elizabeth

close up of classy looking flower

Another smaller yellow magnolia called Butterflies is behind the Woodspirit. It is smaller flower than Elizabeth and little more yellow.

There are more rhododendrons in the front area and my 2 absolute favorites are R. Starbright Champagne

When the flowers fall it leaves these decorative little bits

and R. Loderi King George which is magnificent and hard to get. It did not bloom for the first 10 years us being here.

I am in the picture just for showing the size.

This camellia was planted by original owners right by the door and we have to trim it hard every year after it blooms.

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Picture of the view from side of a “dummy wall” dominated by an old big leaf maple. I was quite taken by this on our first visit. Living only in big cities up to that point made a big impression on me at that time. Now I take it for granted. Sometimes we have to sit down and look around and appreciate all the beauty around us.

Closer picture of azalea “Gibraltar” seen in distance in previous photo

Right where I stand taking this picture of the Bigleaf maple and looking to the right is this old climbing rose draping over the wall. It was probably planted by the original owners and I do not have the name. It is very rambunctious but beautifully fragrant.

Looking from house’s front porch through the arch towards the Bigleaf maple

The half circle bed behind the wall is dominated by 2 fairly large pierises, couple of dogwoods, cotinus and a beautiful Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepsis indica) loved by deer.

The front “garden” is not very big triangular shape between a circular drive and is dominated by peonies irises. phlox and recently by my albizia tree. It is a only spot which I would classified as a garden( flower bed). The rest of my plants are just scattered around.
I will post pictures of that area later in the month.
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There are several parts of this property I named that we can orient ourselves.
" Sun Valley" is the sunniest part around here. I have a little orchard there and some edibles, few rhododendrons, ornamental trees and lots of blooming weeds. The area has more of natural feel to it.

but probably a subject for another blog.

This is the view from our extended decking which we enjoy enormously in summer. It is quite dynamic with recreational and fishing boats constantly moving up and down the channel.
But at times its quiet and peaceful and we can hear only sounds of seagulls and many other wild birds.

We practically live outside from May till October.
It is feels lovely and fresh even on a rainy day.

Love to watch cloud formations

There would be many aspects of our lives here suitable for a blog. One I think of right now is a wildlife and our adaptation to it. Maybe one day I’ll wright about it.

This blog turned longer than I anticipated. Sorry.

• 3 May, 2021
• 11 likes

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