Category Archives: Our Garden

Images taken in our Pennsylvania garden

I Can’t Get Enough of Fall Color

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“Stream Side”
Heatherwood Fall

I can’t get enough of the beautiful fall color at Heatherwood. With all the guidance to stay at home during the accelerated expansion of Covid-19 cases, we are so lucky to be able to just step outside to partake in the beauty of autumn.

Along Heatherwood’s waterfalls, several Japanese Maples grace the stream bank. Their fall color frame the Kotoji lantern as well as the stream. They are young trees now, but over time will grow with their branches extending over the stream and waterfalls. After the final leaves fall, we will reluctantly shut down the stream’s water for the winter.

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Three is a Charm

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American White Birch
Heatherwood Fall

Two sets of American White Birch trees were planted by the previous owner of our property. They marked the southwest and southeast corners of the original landscaped area. A lot has changed in the last four years. Now they act as sentinels linking the upper and lower landscape areas. The birches provide much needed shade in the summer and stark beauty in the winter. Their fall foliage is interesting, but not as striking as the bright yellows of the European birch. However, they are better acclimated to our environment and much more disease resistant than their European cousins.

For both the small birch groves, we are planting understory shrubs, perennials, and ground covers. This will naturalize and smooth the transition between lawn and planting areas.

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Great Way to Start a New Day

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“Sunshine and Mist”
Heatherwood Fall

As I was writing my daily journal entry, I looked outside my office and saw the sun highlighting a distant hill. I quickly grabbed my camera and became immersed in the sunshine and mist. Tree leaves were glistening with droplets from the prior nights rain. Sun rays were highlighting Heatherwood’s trees and shrubs while a light fog was partially hiding the surrounding hills and valley. What a great way to start the day!

Two hours later I went in the house and had a wonderful breakfast/lunch. Then Mary and I went out for another walk around the garden, enjoying, feeling, and touching nature’s wonders.

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Abstract Thinking

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“Sunrise Through a Pear Tree”
Heatherwood Autumn

A walk through the garden on a autumn day is always full of color. Today, I was focusing on color and texture as I was walking around with my camera. Our flowering pear is at its peak of fall color. The early morning sun came out for a moment to backlight the tree in brilliant color. I decided to create an abstract texture using a nine-image multiple exposure.

Here’s to a bright and shiny new day!

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Good Morning World!

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“Morning View From My Office Window”
Heatherwood, Fall

I start most every day in the dark with a cup of coffee and a fountain pen in my hand. Each day is a clean slate for me to make what I want out of it. I start to write about whatever is on my mind. I wander from thought to thought, and start to arrange my day. After my daily journal writing, I pick up a book and read a little, making notes of things I want to think about. By this time, the sun starts to break over the eastern ridge above our home. I look out and watch most sunrises emerge. I turn around from my desk and look out my office window and think what a great day this is going to be!

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How Many Colors Can a Leaf Have?

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“Multi-colored Leaf”
Heatherwood, Fall

Magenta, green, orange, yellow, red and green … How many colors can a leaf have? Patterns and lines grace the leaf in random fashions. What factors determine the design of an autumn leaf? Like a snowflake, no two are the same. The wonder of nature has many stories to tell.

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Buttery

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“November Rose”
Heatherwood, Fall

The buttery yellow of a November rose brings a little sunshine to our rose garden. Most of the garden’s roses are spent and hanging down. Just a few of our yellow floribunda remain. Even these are on their last hurrah. Leaves are wilting and falling off. Rose hips are forming. It is time for the roses to go to sleep for the winter and get their rest for a bright June bloom.

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Leaves in the Grass

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“Leaves in the Grass”
Heatherwood, Fall

The wind was blowing and leaves were falling. It was time to go out and play with my camera. Walking around looking at the blowing trees, I wasn’t coming up with anything that really grabbed me. I looked down at my feet and saw patches of leaves in the grass. I decided to try a slow diagonal pan using multiple exposures. Here’s the result.

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Heatherwood Fall Colors #10

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“Strolling Through”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden, Fall

Another beautiful fall day, another stroll through the garden! My strolls through our garden with my camera remind me of the path shown of the little kids in the cartoon “Family Circus.” I usually start from the path, but soon deviate up and over the rocks, up the hillsides, around the trees and shrubs looking for details and vignettes I have not appreciated before. When I get back to the path I pause and sometimes look back to see where I came from, as I did in this photo. I encounter a surprise discovery of color, textures, and shapes.

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