Monthly Archives: December 2020

Country Peace

“Country Peace”
Heatherwood Neighborhood

It is wonderful living in the country. Heatherwood is surrounded by hills and countryside settings. I step out of our garage and look across the street to see this peaceful pastoral setting. Sometimes our neighbor’s horses are grazing in the pasture or beneath these old apple trees. This area was once covered by apple and cherry orchards. Now there remains just a few apple trees along our neighbor’s property line and an old cherry orchard on a distant hillside. Much of the area has been converted to pastures and scattered homes. Heatherwood is in the middle of this bucolic area.

We have attempted to design Heatherwood’s landscape to take advantage of the peaceful surroundings. Plantings and paths encourage a wanderer to enjoy the immediate surroundings then look out to see views of the surrounding area. Sitting areas are located and framed to do the same. The garden brings peace to the busy world around us.

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French Tapestry

Tri-color Sedum Abstract
Heatherwood, Fall

Strolling in our garden on a crisp frosty morning, I looked down and saw an interesting pattern on the ground. It reminded me of French tapestry wall coverings I had seen on some of the old historic homes on the East Coast. I took a little artistic liberty and enhanced the image with Topaz Impression to create this final image. Squint your eyes and think of some of those wall paper covered walls on those wonderful early 19th century historic homes.

For reference, below is the base image prior to adding the Topaz enhancement.

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Searching for Light

Heaherwood Japanese Garden

After a day of heavy frost, we had a day of beautiful morning sunshine. During my morning walk I focused on finding the light. The morning sun made the various colors of our late fall/early winter garden pop out in brilliant shades and hues. Water droplets on tree branches and leaves sparkled like little stars. Backlit leaves and grasses displayed semi-transparent yellow and orange shapes that fluttered in a gentle breeze. It was a beautiful morning!

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A Little Pruning Needed !

Overgrown Crabapple
Heatherwood, Late Fall

This poor crabapple has beautiful spring blossoms and fall fruit. But it also is misshapen with branches going everywhere. It has been left to find its own way through its early life and has gone completely wild. During the last few years, I have been carefully taking a few branches off each year. Over time, I hope it will behave and mature to a nice specimen.

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Full Perspective

“Garden Perspectives”
Heatherwood, Late Fall

This image shows several perspectives of our Heatherwood garden. The bottom half comprises the meadow area with various perennials and grasses. A section of lawn separates the meadow from a hillside rock garden with its small trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground cover. Another strip of lawn separates the rock garden from the Japanese garden at the top of the image. Through the garden, plants have been selected to provide seasonal interest throughout the four seasons of the year.

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Contrast

Leaf in Snow Covered Grass
Heatherwood Autumn

We received a light covering of snow last night. Once the sun lit up the yard, I grabbed my camera and went out for a little walk before the snow melted.

Why did I take this image? The lone leaf was an anomaly in the snow covered grass. It created contrast. It was a contrast of color (orange vs white), size and shape (large oval vs lines and small crystals), temperature (warm vs cold), and texture (large semi-smooth vs small points and lines). Did I see a leaf or was it a lone colorful object in a sea of white spattered with green protrusions?

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Late Morning Sun Brilliance

Rock Garden
Heatherwood Fall

Colors in our rock garden continue to change as fall turns to winter. The ice plant ground cover changes from summer’s light yellow green to winter’s bright red. Several of the evergreens turn to bright yellow and yellow-greens for a winter contrast. Perennials change to deep maroons and different shades of orange-browns. Color continues to persist into the winter. What will next month bring?

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Warm Way to Start the Day

Morning Sunlight on Birches
Heatherwood Fall

Morning sunlight sets our birches on fire. Even with the patches of frost on the ground, the birches provide me warmth. Early morning and late afternoon rays highlight Heatherwood’s golden grasses as they rake across the flowing seed heads. Spent, semi-transparent perennial leaves glow as the low light strike them. The few remaining tree leaves flitter as the light is reflected from their shiny surfaces. Nature’s wonders never let me down.

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Fall Memory

“Autumn Blaze”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden Fall

Today I will shut off the final stream of water for our waterfall and stream. The last leaves of the maple are now gone. Sadly it is time to prepare for the freezing temperatures of the coming winter. The memory of autumn’s brilliance against the flowing water of our waterfall will stick in my mind until next spring.

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