“Ground Cover ?”
Yakima Area Arboretum, WA
Meandering along in the Yakima Arboretum Japanese garden, I looked down and saw this stringy ground cover. It was full of oranges, purples, greens, yellows, and turquoise colors. I don’t have any idea of what kind of ground cover it is, but I really need to get some for our Heatherwood garden.
“Autumn Abstract”
Bellevue Botanical Garden
The day may be gray outside, but my mind doesn’t have to think that way. As I write this post, fog has moved in and engulfed our garden and the surrounding hills. All I have to do to brighten my day is to look back on some of my images created at a brighter time. This image just jumped out of my collection and beckoned to be chosen to be in my post.
Even on a dark dreary winter day there is always something to brighten the day. It may be beautiful music, an interesting read, an engaging conversation, a quick glance of something intriguing, or just a simple warm thought. Every day is precious. It is our opportunity to make the best of it!
“Winter Perennials”
Heatherwood Meadow
As I walk around, my eyes wander all around. I look in the distance and see the snow covered hills. I look side to side and see the surrounding trees, shrubs, and meadows. I see a path leading to who knows where. I turn around and see where I have been. I look up and see beautiful clouds in the sky. I stumble and look at my feet. I see abstract detailed patterns staring back at me.
“Snow Covered Yarrow and Rudbeckia”
Heatherwood Meadow
When I first saw this clump of snow-covered yarrow and rudbeckia, I thought that they looked like a field of mushrooms. Mary thought that they looked like a field of cotton. What is the purpose of a garden but to enjoy, dream, and imagine!
“Ceiling in Vatican Museum”
The Vatican
It was extremely hard for me to walk through the Vatican Museum. Glorious art surrounded me from all angles; ceilings, wall, floors. I kept stumbling around and running into other touring visitors. “Mi scusi” was my most common phrase. I was glad that I was tall, so I could look over the other tourists. At times when I stopped to create a photo, I felt like I was a lone tower in the middle of a stream of wandering people.
“Tindaro Screpolato by sculptor Igor Mitoraj”
Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy
Commonly known as the ‘Giant Head’ the Tinder Screpolato was a huge contrast to the other Renaissance sculptures in the Medici’s Boboli Gardens in Florence. After a long morning walk through residential Florence we ended up at the Medeci Palace and the attached Boboli Gardens. It was hot, 90 degrees plus, and our water bottles were empty. We walked up the garden hill to a large grass lawn and saw this giant head. We stopped looked at the sculpture and decided it was a good time to walk back to our hotel and take a nap.
“Wheels, Wheels, and More Wheels”
Damien Barn, Unionville, WA
The line of wheels seem to go on forever. What is the history behind each one? How many years ago were they in use? What type of vehicle were they used on, and what were they used for? Were they part of an implement or a mechanism of transport? So many questions I have? It would a wonderful experience to walk along the fence with an “old timer” and hear him talk about where the wheels came from.
“Steptoe View”
The Palouse, Washington
One of my favorite places to be in Washington State is on Steptoe Butte in the Palouse. It is a place where I can gaze over the rolling hills of the farm land below and dream of the past, present, and future. Time goes by, clouds skim across the sky. Little ‘ant-like’ vehicles move about. Memories flash through my mind. When I was a little tyke, Uncle Ben and I would walk out to the sagebrush ridge past our orchard. We had our special rock where we would sit and look over the Naches valley below. Farmers would be working their fields, driving their tractors back and forth. He would tell me stories both fictional and of his past experiences. I would dream.
I close my eyes, then open them up again. The farm land fades away. In its place emerges a pattern of textures, tones, and curves. The scene below becomes a flowing blanket as the shadows from the clouds traverse across.
“Acer Palmatum Dissectum Structure
Portland Japanese Garden
I love the delicate structure and leaves of Japanese Maples. They are planted in artistic displays throughout the Portland Japanese Garden. A staff of creative artists meticulously groom the trees. Each one is an art piece. I wish I could say the same for the Japanese maples in our Heatherwood garden. I focus on doing the minimum pruning just to keep them healthy and somewhat balanced. I dream of someday having the opportunity to work with a “Japanese maple artist” to gain a simple insight on his/her creative talent.
“Signature Japanese Maple”
Portland Japanese Garden
Every time I visit the Portland Japanese Garden, I stop by and look under the branches of the signature Japanese maple that overlooks the main pond area. I get a completely different abstract view of the garden looking through the branches and leaves.
This star attraction is meticulously pruned to create the maple’s beautiful structure. The environment in the Portland garden is perfect for Japanese maples and their delicate pruned structure. In our Central Washington Heatherwood garden, we don’t the same luxury. Because of the harsh direct sunlight, we need to keep a heavy layer of leaves on the maples to protect them. We can still have a similar overall shape, but not the delicate loose layering of maples in a less harsh environment.