Category Archives: The Intimate Landscape

The small details, shapes, and textures that catch my eye.

Merry Christmas

Leave a reply

Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine
Heatherwood Winter

Even though we do not have snow this Christmas, I can always dream! Christmastime is a time for dreaming. I dream of all the wonderful times we had with Grandma and Grandpap up at the ranch. I dream of the time that Dad stayed up all night putting up the Christmas tree and our first American Flyer train. We kids could hardly contain ourselves on Christmas morning when we could not come out of the bedroom until Pop finished helping Santa to get the train running. I remember the wonderful years when our whole family, Mom, Dad, we kids, Grandma, Grandpap, aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered together at our Hillcrest home for Christmas Dinner. I smile as I remember how our family grew and we watched all our nieces and nephews energetically opening their presents. Many times when Karen and I were in the Washington, DC and Philadelphia areas, we could not make it home for Christmas. I fondly reflect on those special quiet Christmases. And now as Mary and I enjoy the wonderful Holidays, I dream to the future Christmases with family and friends. And as I dream, I reflect and contemplate on the true meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

A Beautiful Early Winter Day

Leave a reply

The Woodland on a Bright Winter Day
Heatherwood Early Winter

It is hard to believe that it is December 23, just two days before Christmas. Our early snowfall has vanished. Today was an absolutely gorgeous early winter day. The sky was blue. Warm winter sunshine spread across our Heatherwood garden. Even though I had a lot to do inside, I could not help myself from strolling around our little Eden with my camera.

Based on today’s beauty and looking ahead to the forecast, it does not look like we will have a white Christmas. Last year we were blessed with snow. This year we will be blessed with what ever nature will bring. We look forward to a beautiful day filled with family and friends as we reflect upon the wonder of Christmas.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Late Fall vs Early Spring

Leave a reply

Woodland Path in Late Fall

Woodland Path in Early Spring

I love the four seasons. Above is one of the reasons. In early spring the red buds are bursting and the daffodils are blooming. Leaves on the woodland maples are just starting to emerge. Six months later, the leaves on the red buds have dropped and the leaves on the maples have turned brown and are just starting to drop. The foliage on the perennials have turned brown and are starting to die back. As winter moves in, the branches of the red and yellow twig dogwoods along with the red winterberries will provide winter color to the woodland.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Winter Is Coming Early

Leave a reply

Winter Color
Heatherwood Lower Garden

Even when the ground is covered with snow, the color of Heatherwood shines through. This is one of my favorite intimate scenes in our lower garden. The bronze of the sawtooth oak, the red of the oak leaf hydrangeas, the yellow of the yellow-twig dogwood, the the grey-blue of the blue spruce, the purple-brown of the nine-bark, and the background orange and green highlight the winter garden.

This image was taken during our first snow about a week ago. Today we are getting our second snowfall of the season. It looks like it will be a big one. The good news is that I have my tractor back from its seasonal maintenance check up to plow the driveway. The bad news is that we have not put on our snow tires yet.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

An Eastern Washington Blue Sky Winter Day

Leave a reply

Looking Up to Selah Ridge
Heatherwood, First Snow

We had our first snow of the season a couple of days ago. After the snow flurries stopped, the sky opened up to this beautiful blue sky. Off I went with my camera! The remaining late fall color created a nice contrast against the fresh snow. It will be several months before we will have a morning cup of coffee here in one of our little garden hideaways.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Driveway Welcome

Leave a reply

Looking in from the Driveway
Heatherwood Autumn

This is one of the several views that we have designed into our Heatherwood garden. Its purpose is to create an interesting view into the garden from the street as walkers stroll past our driveway. Late autumn provides beautiful color contrasts with the whites of the birch limbs against the reds of the Autumn Glory maples. The foreground of grasses, perennials and evergreen shrubs give it a little extra punch.

It is our pleasure to share the garden with our neighbors to brighten their days as well as ours.

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Thanksgiving Colors

Leave a reply

Path to Center Circle
Heatherwood Autumn

Oranges, reds, yellows, and browns are the colors of Thanksgiving. Heatherwood, in the late fall, displays these colors throughout the garden. We cook our Thanksgiving turkey outside. So even with all the football games going on, we venture out every half hour or so and enjoy the fall colors around us.

We have so much to be thankful for, including this little spot of Eden. We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving as you enjoy it with family, friends, loved ones, and each other!

K & M

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Brightness on a Dreary Late Fall Morning

Leave a reply

Winter Garden Color in the Lower Garden
Heatherwood Autumn

We designed Heatherwood to have color throughout all four seasons. Color provided by the Midwinter Fire, red-twig, and yellow-twig dogwoods complements the brightness and textures of the ornamental grasses. In a few years, the evergreen trees will get taller creating a nice green background. Together they all provide brightness to a dreary late fall day.

This part of the garden is three years old. We have enjoyed watching the plants grow from one gallon pots to these mid-sized shrubs and grasses. It will take a couple more years for them to fill in and mature into “garden-sized” plants. By then, the evergreens will have grown several feet taller. Watching a garden grow provides so much enjoyment for Mary and I!

Related Images:

200507_LongExp_WtrFall__Kotoji 200506_LongExp_WtrFall_1

Buddies

Leave a reply

Chief Joseph Lodgepole Pine & Sester’s Dwarf Blue Spruce
Heatherwood Autumn

I woke up this morning and read the news headlines. My spirits were down in the dumps. To bring my spirits up, I started reviewing my images of our garden that I created earlier this week. I stopped when I saw the image above and started to contemplate. Here are two completely different species growing up side by side, complementing each other in complete harmony with the other trees and plants in the landscape around them. Why can’t we do the same?

Related Images: