Spring Blossoms

March 22, 2011

Dogwood

Apple

Sassafras

© Burke's Garden 2011

The Moon & Black Walnut

September 22, 2010.

Today is the last day of summer 2010. Fall is here and this is the harvest moon.

© Burke's Garden, 2010.

Dogwood & Apple Blossoms

April, 2010.

©Burke's Garden, 2010.

Colors of Spring

April 3rd, 2010.

Saucer Magnolia

Redbud Tree

Irises

Forsythia

Sassafras tree blossoms

Muscari or Grape Hyacinth

May Night Salvia

© Burke's Garden, 2010.

Winter Job

December 16, 2009.

Trimming and cutting down trees are winter job. That's what we have done this week. The oak tree in front of the house gets a severe trimming job to get rid of the mistletoes. One dead oak tree on the road side has to go down.

Four baby flying squirrels were captured. They were found inside the hollow part of the dead oak tree by the road. Mama Squirrel and the rest of the family managed to escape. We'll keep these babies until they are stronger and ready to be released if they want to. According to the tree man, they make good pets and would stay on your shoulder no matter where you go if you let them. They are sure cute, though.

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

Our Neighbor's Fiery Pistachio Tree

"In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

the grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all,

Flowers in the summer

Fires in the fall! "

- Robert Louis Stevenson, Autumn Fires

This is our dear neighbor's pistachio tree. It's on fire!

It has the most wonderful fall foliage in the world

and it always does this every year!

We can see the red from our place. It's just too lovely.

Photos © Burke's Garden, 2009.

Do You See What I See?

"Winter is an etching,

spring a watercolor,

summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all."

- Stanley Horowitz

Along the tree-bordered property line, across the yellow and green pasture, a red fiery tree is peeking through and screaming, "Look at me! Look at me!".

© Burke's Garden, 2009

Let The Zing Continue

"When the trees their summer splendor

Change to raiment red and gold,
When the summer moon turns mellow,
And the nights are getting cold;
When the squirrels hide their acorns,
And the woodchucks disappear;
Then we know that it is autumn,
Loveliest season of the year."

- Carol L. Riser, Autumn

Let the zing of autumn palette continue.

Our pear tree starts to show fall color

with Blue Butterfly still blooming

on the foreground.

Red and yellow foliage

on the trees by the road.

Dogwood tree's foliage has turned red.

Gum trees by the road.

Yellow foliage and fallen leaves

have allowed more light along

this country road.

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

Visibility Limited

Day time has become shorter and shorter. Sunrise today was at 7.00 am and sunset 5.19 pm. These pictures were taken one hour after sunrise this foggy morning when the sun was reaching the bald black walnut branches.

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

A Wet Fall

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

One Fall Day

October 22, 2009.

We've got another spell of rain (the 3rd or 4th in the month) that brings the total rainfall to 9.6 in. This time the ground has already been all soaked with water and the creek level rises fast. It's fun in a way that our landscape changes with the increment of water level. It's like having a new big lake in the yard for one or two days.

~~~

Falling leaves.

Mushrooms sprouting.

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

Here Comes the Sun, for a Little While

A hole in the clouds lets the sun peek out for a short while that evening. Enough to set the mood for picture taking after a week long of cloudy days.

Angel's Trumpets are madly blooming,

touched by sunlight.

Trailing weed on cotton wood tree

catch the filtered sunlight.

Chinaberry tree is spotted by sun

that exposes the berries it's bearing.

Red seeds of castor bean in the circle garden

under the big tree catch the light.

Lantana and yellow chrysanthemum in the circle garden.

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

Beginning of Fall Foliage

The only tree with fall foliage so far.

Trees by the pasture are still green.

© Burke's Garden, 2009.

The Circle Garden in Fall

© Burke's Garden, 2009