Hidden Gem

Nestled in the Sunrise Heights neighborhood, thirty Japanese maples offer secluded spaces for morning coffee and evening wine. Varieties such as the compact 'Lileeanne's Jewel,’ 'Beni Otake' or red bamboo Japanese maple, and 'Pung Kil', surround the flagstone patio in the front. 

Following the path beneath the large Japanese snowbell towards the backyard, pass a forty-year-old camellia and a wisteria vine.  There, you are greeted by a graceful 'Seiryu,’ the only upright Japanese maple that features delicate lace leaves.  A mature lacecap hydrangea grows in the corner.

In 2017, the owners removed 42,000 pounds of concrete and lawn behind the house and installed gravel paths and lush garden beds.  Varieties of hostas, hellebores and other shade plants now thrive under the ancient apple tree, the focus of the backyard space.  

An impressive twenty-five-year-old star jasmine vine climbs along the garage. Evening light filters through a ‘Red Obelisk’ European beech in the SW corner of the garden.  Next to the back stairs is ‘conifer corner’ showcasing a variety of conifers planted in pots to restrict their size. A well-established fiveleaf akebia vine graces the back door and, to Julie’s surprise, it now bears six-to-eight-inch-long fruit that dangles like purple bratwurst.

The raised beds, once meant for vegetables, provide a place to try new plants until a future hot tub takes their place. This evolving garden continues to offer serenity and surprise in every corner.