Tag Archives: Heatherwood

First Real Snowfall of the Season

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“Almost Winter”
Heatherwood

Yesterday we got our first real snowfall of the season. When we got up, 4-5 inches of snow covered the ground. It was beautiful.

It is great to be retired. Instead of shoveling out the car to go to work, I grabbed my camera and strolled through the garden making tracks in the pristine layer of snow. It was a much nicer way to start the day. Snow plowing could wait until I got finished enjoying the fresh snow.

I purposefully set out to do my best to create images that represent the beauty of a winter garden. I focused on shapes, forms, residual color, and contrasts. Hopefully I was able to create enough images for a winter garden chapter in by annual Heatherwood Highlights book.

Today’s image focus is shapes and forms, contrasts of the white snow on the evergreens, and the contrast of a lush garden environment against the barren background hill. The scene is one of my favorite views year around from our garden.

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Happy Thanksgiving

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“Fall Color”
Heatherwood Autumn

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday. I remember the wonderful times up at the Ranch with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ben, all of my aunts and uncles, Mom and Dad, and 4 of 5 of my siblings. There were 15 of us back then in the 50’s. Our family has now grown to about 75 comprising four generations: aunts, uncles, our generation, nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins, and all the spouses. Back in the 50’s we were all together up at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s. Today, we are spread out over Washington, Oregon, and New York. I miss the old days when we were all together, but time passes and new experiences open up. Each day adds to my list of memories of a wonderful life.

There is so much to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Oak Leaves

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“Scarlet Oak”
Heatherwood Oak Grove

The autumn color on our scarlet oak just did not turn to the bright red as it has in past years. Just as the color started to change, we had a cold snap with temperatures dropping below 20 degrees. The color change stopped at orange. This fall has been quite different. Many of our trees still have green leaves while others have dropped all their leaves. Some of our maples are half red and half green. I think the trees are all mixed up.

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The Sky Doesn’t Get Much Bluer

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‘Cherry Allee”
Heatherwood, Mid-Autumn

Our first light snow dusting is over. The sky is as blue as it can be. It’s a beautiful and crisp mid-autumn day. There is no better place to be than strolling through the garden.

The perennials in Mary’s “bright & shiny” garden are spent, but still have a hint of their summer color. Their textures and shapes still provide a lot of interest. I don’t have the heart to cut them back. Besides, the spent flower heads leave seeds for the birds as well as spread seeds to make a fuller garden for next year. I will wait until early spring to cut them back.

The leaves on the Pink Flair cherries are turning to their dark red mid-autumn color. It won’t be too long before the branches will be bare. Winter is not too far away.

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More Change to Come

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“Rock Garden”
Heatherwood Autumn

Heatherwood’s rock garden is full of color now. But, it will go through more color change as fall progresses into winter. The leaves of the deciduous shrubs will fall exposing bright red dogwood branches and purple elderberry and nine bark branches. Some of the conical shaped shrubs will turn from green to golden bronze. Other conifers will turn to yellow. The ice plant ground covers will turn to a bright orange while some of the thymes will turn yellow. The blues and dark greens of other conifers will provide a subtle contrast. There is much more to come!

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I Love the Autumn Color

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“Lower Lawn”
Heatherwood Autumn

Our autumn color is changing so fast. Last night the temperature dropped down into the mid-20’s. This morning, two of three of our ginkgos dropped all their leaves. We have one left that still has not turned yellow yet. For the next several days, I will need to photograph both in the morning and in the afternoon to create a record of our fall garden.

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More Autumn Color

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“Glorious Fall Color”
Heatherwood Autumn

Temperatures have been dropping down into the low 30’s for a week or so. The trees and shrubs are rapidly displaying their glorious autumn brilliance.

Our Heatherwood landscape is quite a contrast to the dry rock-covered hills that surround us. To bridge the gap, we have placed many rocks in our landscape. They help tie the hillsides and our garden together. It is amazing how a little water during the summer months can turn our semi-desert surrounds into a lush landscape.

Every day brings more and more color. The garden should be at its peak color in about a week. Some days are changing so much that I feel like I need to take a little photographic walk both in the morning and late afternoon. Today is one of those days.

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Day By Day

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“Changing Colors”
Heatherwood Autumn

It is already the middle of October and the autumn colors are slowly turning. Most of the deciduous trees are still green. Day by day they are changing into their fall color. Patches of yellow, orange, and red are starting to appear throughout the garden. The color change this year seems to be about two to three weeks later than last year. We have been having a beautiful Indian Summer. We are still eating most of our meals outside to enjoy the beautiful warm weather. The lawn seems to be growing as fast or faster than it has any time of the year. I am still mowing it two times a week! From the tracks in the lawn, it looks like the guy driving the mower has had a beer or two too many.

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