I take pictures all the time. There are days when I devote an entire day to taking the various pictures I would always have wanted to at another – earlier – time. Yes, this means I have some regrets I don’t want to revisit again regarding projects I have done – projects where I neglected to take the time to snap simple pictures taken in progress or at the completion of hundreds of wonderful landscapes. Therefore, the preciousness of those I did take  is somewhat off the charts, as average as they may be. They were a unique point in time, which is the signal virtue of all photography.

The Digital Age changed me. I fully admit to an absolute egotistical surge of pride when I realize I can have one of these cameras automatically adjust and snap pictures as if I were an actual pro. Cheating can be fun, after all!

Truthfully, I enjoy writing as much as I enjoy anything at all. Being relatively new to “full time” writing and thinking, I am still somewhat in the wash of wonder at the challenges of arranging unique thoughts and images –  sometimes so thrilling when I stop and contemplate it all. When I can combine these two avocations in a form such as this blog, it’s a true slice of heaven for me. Above and below, I’ll feature some of my personal favorite general images – later, not all mine –  a few of them focusing on projects and others on the representative unique specialness of the pictures themselves. As most people who follow this blog know, I have special affinities for certain plants and trees: Rhododendrons are a massive Champion for me, as are Roses and Dogwood Trees.

The simple entertaining luxury of Dogwoods as well as their amazing variety make the Kentucky countryside redolent and busy with blooms galore during Spring times such as this one now passing. The natural woods themselves feature these natives in a stunning natural glamour – especially poignant when combined with foreground landscaping planning such as this perspective from the grounds at Bernheim Forest.

 What is a Dogwood Spectacular?

This………

Rhodies –

’nuff said   😉

One more:

Mmmmm, good enough to eat.  But don’t. Rhododendron blooms are poisonous.

Projects:

One of my all time favorite projects revolved around this huge 10 acre plot we landscaped for a contractor for whom we did much other work as well. Of course this is common in construction as persons who award contracts learn more about those laboring for their benefit. Readers will be familiar with some of these:

From above:

Telephone call!! Burning Man on the line!

Seems my secretary has a hot thought!!!

She’s on fire!!   😉

I’m wearing the reader out with pictures. I’ll break for now and revisit this topic soon.

In three hours, I board a plane for Portland, yet again. Thence to San Diego to see my daughter. Life be’s good.

Everybody loves blooms. By far my most popular posts are of blooms and blooming processes. I mean, I could talk all day about the in’s and out’s of landscape design and installation issues, speak about the people I have worked for – those who have worked for me – my family, your family, all the rest and still, the posts everyone loves most are of flowers.

I think we have secret existences as bumblebee’s myself. Face it, we’re Pollen Junkies. 😉

….and………so without further ado, culled from the archives and seeing the light of day for the first times……… Who knew Oregon Grape could look like this?

(enlarge any image by left clicking – maybe even twice for incredible detail)

Double-blooming Kwanzan Cherries are among my personal favorite Spring-blooming ornamentals. The sheer profuseness of their blooms is mesmerizing and they can actually get pretty sizable.

This bad boy is 30 feet high and even wider.

This otherwise simple, middle and working-class suburban neighborhood in Gresham, Oregon – a suburb of Portland –  simply took the best of what Portland’s nurseries offered, made people dig a bunch of hard-fought holes on their own and then watch their futures unfold in a sublime bit of uncoordinated ‘hyper coordination’. Just check the various depths of colorful blooms as this tableau stretched on…….. These pictures really do want some enlargement to fully appreciate the colors and lushness of their settings.

Other places serve similar ends – Spring is a plain delight for anyone paying attention anyway – here’s some Reno blossom “hotness”, presented most gently:

The lowly and under-appreciated Sumac tree’s fresh and sprightly new leaves offer this gorgeous bloom for a truly gorgeous, radiant Springtime eye harvest:

Suburban Louisville, Kentucky has always benefited fabulously from hosting native Dogwood and Eastern Redbud trees, but the additions of other ornamentals such as Chinese Pears and the lower-lying Spirea and Viburnums of wide range, make for breath-taking tableaus of soothing and just uncommon beauty such as this Douglas Hills boulevard picture:

The fascination with Chinese Pears – especially inasmuch as they bloom so early, yields a feast of parkland which kick starts better weather with a nice and emphatic shove:

A natural filigree of lacy blooms and a caressing Nature adorn every Kentucky forest’s lime-green early Spring leaves with the beauty of native bloomers.

So we agree that Spring is special. I doubt anyone here argues the issue. And since we’re on the subject of blooms in general, let’s take a look at others – Roses, for example:

Here are 2 Rose Warriors, at their tasks as we speak!

Star Magnolias are another blooming winner……….like the Chinese Pears, they also come super early in the Spring –

Other noteworthy stuff………. A Wysteria poised in front of some sumptuous turn-of-the-Century housing in downtown Louisville…….

You can almost smell this Lilac where you sit…..

Any blog I get involved in will have some Rhododendrons – it’s as simple as that. Unreservedly……. these are my favorite blooms, this one mixed with some killer foreground Spirea

More rhodies……

One more……..