Category Archives: Trees

Searching for the Light

Bloodgood Japanese Maple
Heatherwood Fall

Here comes the sun! We are blessed with such brilliant color, even in late, late, autumn, when the morning sun strikes the remaining fall foliage. It doesn’t seem like today is the first day of winter. Soon the last leaves will be dropping off our Japanese maples. We will still be intrigued with their silhouettes and textured and colored bark throughout the winter.

With the Covid-19 virus still on the loose, we are planning on staying put at home for the winter. Our changing garden will help provide a stimulus to get us outside for little excursions. I look forward to recording how the garden transitions from fall into winter, then into spring. We have planted various trees, shrubs, and other perennials that will provide winter interest as well as late winter blossoming. We look forward to seeing the thousands of bulbs we planted this fall emerge in early spring.

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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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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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