A Garden Friend

We found this guy relaxing on an iris pod recently. I think he was just as curious about us as we were about him! We also had an interesting encounter with a squirrel today. He charged at the cat! Luckily, there was a sliding glass door between them! Hope you are enjoying your fall. The weather has been beautiful here. There is a lot of fall planting to be done!

More Fall Faves

This "pig squeak" or Bergenia cordifolia is a great addition to any garden. Not only does it provide great interest throughout the growing season but it is also one of my favorite perennials for fall and winter. The leaves persist long into fall turning from green to a deep red. They provide a great contrast against the brown and grey of the fall landscape. These almost tropical looking perennials will slowly multiply and become a great mass. I especially like them amongst granite boulders.

A Favorite Fall Plant

We may have lost some blooms to the early October snow, but we still have some plants blooming and it's almost Thanksgiving. This one is Lamium which we've seen bloom late into the season multiple times. I also like how it fills in around the boulders. I would recommend adding this plant to your rock gardens, shade gardens or they would be nice as a border plant.

A Beautiful Fall

My apologies for the lack of blogging lately. We have had a surprisingly beautiful fall here in Omaha, which has allowed me to be out working on fall landscape clean up for my clients. I thought, with the early snow, that this fall might be pretty rough, but it has been really nice!

We also have moved our business back into our home this fall. We are very excited about the future of Olive Branch and reorganizing the business in order to better serve our clients and be able to focus on designs and projects without the distraction of the retail side of our business. We are still available to special order outdoor furniture, sculptures and pottery for anyone interested. We really enjoyed having our studio in Rockbrook Village and will miss the community there, but my wife and I are looking forward to the opportunity to work from home.

Landscape Photography Part 2

Here are a couple more of our favorite detail shots from our recent photo venture. It was nice to capture the impatiens in their final glory days. Look for these and many more new photos on our website soon!

Landscape Photography

My wife and I both really enjoy dabbling in landscape photography. We have been pursuing it more lately since she started working with me this summer. These are some of our most recent photos that we took for a local landscape contractor.

Is it still Fall?

This has been an interesting fall so far. It has already snowed four inches. Today there was a little sleet and the leaves have only just begun to fall from the trees. A taste of an early winter is helping me to appreciate every morsel of fall that I can get. It's also going to help me get all the garden chores done quickly this weekend before it's too late! It's a little sad to see the annuals and vegetables die, but there is something to be said for getting a little rest from the garden for awhile. I hope you will be able to enjoy some of your favorite fall activities before winter weather takes over. Check out an aspen leaf painting by my wife if you need a reminder of fall.

"A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds, no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air."
- Eric Sloane

Nebraska Autumn

My wife and I like to venture out to get inspired by nature whenever we can. I always find that it helps my designs when I observe how things grow in nature. Here are some of our best shots after visiting a nearby lake last week. The prairie is really beautiful in the fall. I hope we can get out again!

Fire Time

It is now officially cool weather in Nebraska. This is a fire pit area we created for a Street of Dreams home back in 2006. I was just thinking it looks like a nice spot to visit right about now. Not without marshmallows and cider, of course.

This is a really simple fire pit design. Sometimes simple is best. We were going for a really natural look, almost as if you stumbled upon it while walking in the woods. Wouldn't that be a nice surprise?

There is nothing better than a good fire during crisp autumn weather. Wish I could go build one right now.

Gourd Time

Our gourds are finally covering our random piece of chain link fence in the backyard. We tore down the rest of the fence last year, but decided to keep this small section because we knew it would be handy for something... we just didn't know what. There is a compost bin behind the fence and the gourd vines do a good job of hiding it from view. Now that it has grown in, it is also providing a second "wall" to our outdoor living space. Our gourd tee pee is in the second photo, but we're not sure it is tall enough! It looks like the gourds are making a break for the power pole! The fruit is coming along nicely and it looks like we'll have an abundance of gourds!