home design: trees

Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts

Border drama

After the rain dramatic light

Well, I am not talking of any horrible conflict, but rather of the dramatic going-ons in our neighborhood, where colors wildly explode and blossoms compete...

It's, of course, a peaceful battle and the only weapons, I can see, are planting tools and the leaf blowers, although these, in my opinion, should be on the international banned list, for they create so much unnecessary noise. Oh, how much I prefer a good old rake...

The dog pulled me in excited sniffing mode from one tree to the next, but I still had enough time to take in all the beauty around me and the realization of spring's enormous potency.

It is overwhelmingly pretty and I love to see nature's progress.

Some of the neighborhood beauties

It has been raining a lot last week, something I am grateful for, it had been too dry over the last months.

This should be my dream studio

In summer and winter I absolutely adore that little garden house under the big tree!

Come on, next big stone ahead

I can't help but look at some of the pretties around while I am on my walk with our old boy...

American & Canadian flags greet us every day!

And finally we turn the corner - we are home!

May joyful colors greet you wherever you are and the battles are peaceful ones around you! Happy Sunday!

All images by V.Zlotkowski

Garden day

The day began bright and sunny and I was drawn to the buzzing, humming and twittering outside. I watched the birds and the bees, the budding plants and I was overall delighted with the progression of spring.

Something has to be said of the fresh green tips, the dark red, still unfurled, leaves of the maple trees, the just opened blossoms of the azaleas and the wisteria, climbing around the garage wall.

There were the sound of insects, birds busily flattering in and out of the hedges, looking for food, twigs and this and that to build their nests...

The lilac begins to green, in front of the, still standing, dried grasses from last year. A task waiting for me, to cut them, to make space for this year's growth.

In the afternoon all changed to kid's laughter on the trampoline, my son and friends sprung happily around and the sounds of

happy chatter rung through the otherwise quiet neighborhood. These are the moments I so cherish!

My sweet young neighbors explored the blossoms and the garden at large, not missing a beat!

They discovered what I had found earlier this morning: The beauty of spring!

Wishing you all the joys of the season and a Happy Easter to come! May you all feel a sense of awakening and renewal!

Easter greetings to you all!

PS: Don't forget to see my other site here!

All images by V.Zlotkowski

Trees

The graphic elements of trees.

I marvel at their balanced shapes, when growing undisturbed.

There is such harmony and flawless shape.

I watch the leafless canopies against the sky.

The moon is rising,

When I begin to dream to be a bird.

Words and pictures by V.Zlotkowski

Storm front

The tree in spring

After the latest string of hot days last night's rainstorm was overdue, but again it took the perhaps most severe toll on our garden. The last of the old maple trees which stood there already for 50 years when we moved here about 10 years ago will have to come down today! We had it cabled a few years back, but a large crack did never heal and a few strong winds yesterday was all it took to break it apart!
Coincidentally it was also the birthday of two of our sons, boys 10 years apart, one 21, the other 11! ( : )) )

Roses from the garden and a giant 'burger' cake for the birthday boys!

The youngest son's impromptu garden party came to an abrupt halt after we heard the cracking of the tree after the first strong winds.
A frantic call to our tree guy confirmed the diagnosis and now the man are up there, removing branch by branch. How easy it is to reduce a tall tree to shredded wood after 60 + years of growth....
I can hear the shredder now as I write.

We will leave the last remaining large piece, unable to part with it completely, but it might buy us only a year or two more. It's sentimental, but the character of the garden and the house will be so changed, we can't bear it yet!
You must think by now that this is not a design blog at all, I am talking too much of gardens and trees. But as I understand it, it is all part of the larger picture, the frame to our lives and lifestyle.
Garden design has become of more and more interest and I feel my attention shifting, especially in the summer month!
Still the lasting impressions of our visit last week to one of Europe's most amazing gardens at Sanssouci left me again with the urge to plant and to leave a mark for future generations, more then I can perhaps leave with my interiors.

250 year old copper beech tree at Sanssouci

A fruit tree, spreading across the ground.

Trees last so much longer!
The small land we have will hold more memories one day for our kids. At least that's what I hope for. And if it should get sold eventually, others may enjoy some large trees one day, then planted long ago, spending much needed shade in future summers.
Often I have thought about the people who build the home we live in, when our neighborhood was developed, right in the years after the Second World War.
They planted azaleas and rhododendrons, which are so large now and gorgeous, Japanese maples and magnolias, and perhaps the old trees which have shaded our house until recently where left from the natural environments, grown wild before the land was sold!
I thanked them silently many times!
There were forests here and a small pickle farm, where our elementary school now stands since the 50's only a few hundred yards from our house.
We have changed the front face of the house and walk way, planted already a few young trees there, but now with the fall of the last giants we will have to rethink the garden plans again!

I know, perhaps some will say just roll with the punches, you will get used to it, but for us living with our garden is as essential as for others the kitchen renovation....

It's a summer of changes and although I mourn the loss of this big part of the last old tree I am hopeful that new plantings will be done by us with enough foresight to bring joy to us and many more in future years. And perhaps this last one standing will survive a few more withering storms!

I have been writing other posts from my "tree - house", one you might enjoy you can find here!
I guess I am a tree woman and I don't mind that image a bit!

xx
Victoria

All pictures by V.Zlotkowski