Tag Archives: Fall Colors

Moving From the Badlands

‘Late Afternoon Sunlight’
Heatherwood, Early Fall

Today, I’m moving from the Badlands of South Dakota to the Good Lands of our Heatherwood Eastern Washington garden. The hills and terrain of the Badlands are beautiful, so are the hills of Eastern Washington. Fall has definitely started. Our oak leaf hydrangeas, viburnums, spirea, and red/yellow-twig dogwood shrubs are starting to display their bright fall colors. Something different is starting to change each day. It is difficult to keep up photographing all the changes.

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A Relaxing Way to Start the Day

“Out My Office Window”
Heatherwood Late Fall

I usually start my day looking out my office window before I begin my daily journal entry. Many times this time of year it is pitch black. But, the sun typically breaches the hills above us by the time I am finished writing. I spend several moments just gazing out the window and contemplating what the new day will bring. It is a peaceful way to start the day and outline my priorities on how to make each day a special one.

This morning, I started thinking how things have changed since I moved back west from the Philadelphia area six years ago. This view was then a hillside of grass with our historical irrigation flume in the background. Now the flume is gone and the grass has been replaced with a Japanese inspired hillside planting area. Ground covers are filling in, defining the paths up the hill. This past year we have added the Japanese maple and a lilac tree to help block the scar on the background hillside created when they tore down the flume last winter. Every year the shrubs and trees get a little larger creating more shade. Ground covers spread over the brown earth. And we still plant a new tree from time to time. Things are always changing … just like life.

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Happy Thanksgiving

“Fall Color”
Heatherwood Autumn

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. I remember the wonderful times up at the Ranch with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ben, all of my aunts and uncles, Mom and Dad, and 4 of 5 of my siblings. There were 15 of us back then in the 50’s. Our family has now grown to about 75 comprising four generations: aunts, uncles, our generation, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins, and all the spouses. Back in the 50’s we were all together up at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s. Today, we are spread out over Washington, Oregon, and New York. I miss the old days when we were all together, but time passes and new experiences open up. Each day adds to my list of memories of a wonderful life.

There is so much to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Oak Leaves

“Scarlet Oak”
Heatherwood Oak Grove

The autumn color on our scarlet oak just did not turn to the bright red as it has in past years. Just as the color started to change, we had a cold snap with temperatures dropping below 20 degrees. The color change stopped at orange. This fall has been quite different. Many of our trees still have green leaves while others have dropped all their leaves. Some of our maples are half red and half green. I think the trees are all mixed up.

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The Sky Doesn’t Get Much Bluer

‘Cherry Allee”
Heatherwood, Mid-Autumn

Our first light snow dusting is over. The sky is as blue as it can be. It’s a beautiful and crisp mid-autumn day. There is no better place to be than strolling through the garden.

The perennials in Mary’s “bright & shiny” garden are spent, but still have a hint of their summer color. Their textures and shapes still provide a lot of interest. I don’t have the heart to cut them back. Besides, the spent flower heads leave seeds for the birds as well as spread seeds to make a fuller garden for next year. I will wait until early spring to cut them back.

The leaves on the Pink Flair cherries are turning to their dark red mid-autumn color. It won’t be too long before the branches will be bare. Winter is not too far away.

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More Change to Come

“Rock Garden”
Heatherwood Autumn

Heatherwood’s rock garden is full of color now. But, it will go through more color change as fall progresses into winter. The leaves of the deciduous shrubs will fall exposing bright red dogwood branches and purple elderberry and nine bark branches. Some of the conical shaped shrubs will turn from green to golden bronze. Other conifers will turn to yellow. The ice plant ground covers will turn to a bright orange while some of the thymes will turn yellow. The blues and dark greens of other conifers will provide a subtle contrast. There is much more to come!

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Time to Shut Off the Waterfall???

“Japanese Garden Waterfall Hillside”
Heatherwood Autumn

This week Heatherwood seems to be at its peak in color. The temperatures are dropping below freezing at night. Leaves are rapidly falling. Small patches of ice have formed at the edges of the waterfall. Is it time to turn off the water to the main falls and prepare the pond for winter?

Nah, I think I can wait a few more days until all the leaves have dropped. It is still just too beautiful to turn off.

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I Love the Autumn Color

“Lower Lawn”
Heatherwood Autumn

Our autumn color is changing so fast. Last night the temperature dropped down into the mid-20’s. This morning, two of three of our ginkgos dropped all their leaves. We have one left that still has not turned yellow yet. For the next several days, I will need to photograph both in the morning and in the afternoon to create a record of our fall garden.

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