Photographed along Lake of the Isles on a beautiful autumn day.
Tag Archives: nature
Privacy and Beauty in Orono
4505 West Branch Road
List price: $424,900
SOLD
Three Bedrooms ~ Two Baths
Main Floor Master ~ Open Floor Plan ~ Hardwood Floors
Newer Roof and Mechanicals ~ Walkout Lower Level
Double Attached Garage ~ Close to Golf Courses ~ 9.55 Acres
Approximately 2400 Finished Square Feet ~ Taxes: $4208
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For additional information, please contact:
Ellen Walsh
emwalsh(at)cbburnet(dot)com
612.220.3304
Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty
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A Beautiful Living Room
Here’s a beautiful room that reminds me of summer. I love the dark wood floors, the white walls and furniture, the wood accents (coffee table and chair arms), the fireplace, and the wall of windows. This is a great example of bringing nature inside your home. Isn’t it inviting? The pet dog seems happy enough.
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It’s Color Time!
Happy First Day of Autumn
Look to nature when considering color palettes for your home. Learn what colors you are drawn to. See which color combinations catch your eye and please you. Some colors are calming, soothing. Others pop out such as these wine and red-colored leaves against their green background. Bring the beauty of the earth into your interior spaces.
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They’ll Soon Fly
Weekly Photo Challenge: Growth
I came across these baby birds on Sunday. There are four of them in the nest. They’re at a downy stage and ever so cute. It won’t be long before they take their virgin flight.
Mom is very protective. She swoops in and aims for you when you get close to the nest. I find myself instinctively ducking so she doesn’t hit me in the face. I was lucky on Sunday as she didn’t get so close and I was able to take a number of photos. I think it may have been because several other people were stopping to see them and take pictures. One woman asked, “Those aren’t real, are they”? Yes, they most definitely are real.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Two Subjects
April 18, 2012
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Increasing Curb Appeal with Landscaping
Bringing Nature to Your Home Brings Beauty and Tranquility
Guest author: Neal Klabunde, owner of Gardening at the Crossroads
Folks selling their home have a lot on their mind. Prices, agents, open houses, etc. In the midst of all this, it’s easy to overlook some simple steps that can improve the curb appeal of your home. Some steps are pretty obvious such as painting or cleaning the exterior of the house, or replacing the front door.
The point of this article, however, is to focus on the landscape improvements that you can make. There are a lot of little things that when added together can give you a healthy return on your investment. The American Nursery and Landscape Association’s research has shown that landscape improvements can increase a home’s value by 7 to 15 percent and that a well-designed landscape can raise the selling price by almost 7 percent.
The best place to start is to look at your house as if you’re visiting it for the first time. Look for problems or issues and note what you saw and why it bothered you. We asked Lisa Ciofani Basham, a Certified Professional Home Stager in NE Ohio, if the impressions formed as a potential buyer walks to the front door for the first time are important. “Absolutely. The walk to the front door is where opinions are formed. Look at your home through the eyes of a buyer and take a critical look at your homes outside as you walk to the front door. It’s that first impression that is so important.”
Look at your lawn first. Is it tired looking and full of weeds? Renovating a lawn is one of the items that you can do and realize a good return on investment. Keep the lawn cut to the proper height for the season and make sure that the sidewalks and driveway are edged.
Look at the shrubs around the foundation. Are they neat and compact or overgrown? Trimming the shrubs and trees is an easy task.
Speaking of trees and shrubs, there is an old proverb that says-“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is today.” If selling your home is three or more years down the road, planting shrubs and perennials sooner rather than later will help them get settled in and blooming. Have any branches that overhang the roof trimmed back.
Make sure that the landscape beds are weed free and have fresh mulch on them. Fresh mulch will make the plants stand out.
Containers such as urns, hanging baskets, and large pots can be a versatile way to add spots of color to your home. These can be purchased relatively inexpensively. Hanging baskets will do fine as a planter if you remove the hook. If necessary, place the basket inside another, more decorative, container. You don’t even need to get your hands dirty!
Seasonal annuals add an instant pop of color. Pansies in the spring, petunias and zinnias in the summer, or asters and mums in the fall give the house a lived in, cared for appearance. Add a wreath with seasonal flowers or colors to the front door for a special touch.
Adding landscape lights are another inexpensive way to spruce-up the exterior of the house. These are fairly inexpensive and easy for the home owner to install, especially if you get the solar variety.
Another landscaping design issue that is often overlooked is how the landscape vistas are framed in the major windows of the house. Home owners spend a lot of time looking at the outside from the inside. Think of your windows as a canvas and plant a lovely view.
All things considered, a well maintained landscape shows the potential buyer that the house is well cared for; more than an overgrown, unkempt one. You don’t want to overdo it, though. Stay main-stream in your landscape choices. While you may enjoy a large rose garden, a dozen or so roses or a water feature might scream “high maintenance” to a potential buyer.
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Neal Klabunde and his wife Catherine live in North Eastern Ohio and are avid gardeners. They are the owners of Gardening at the Crossroads, a gardening website that covers all aspects of gardening and is geared towards gardeners of all skill levels.
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All photos ©Kate Walsh/designhouse9.com
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Photo of the Day: Iris
Nature: A Home for the Soul
Photo of the Day
June 30, 2011
I thought this bug would fly away when I brought my camera so close to it. I took numerous photos from different angles. It never moved despite my movements and proximity. I love the variety, beauty and uniqueness of nature.
Another weekend is nearly upon us. It’s a holiday weekend for many. Summer is here. Enjoy a walk. Take in nature in all its glory. Experience the wonder of the world around you and find yourself relaxing and being refreshed.
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That Wondrous Time Between Day and Night
Photo of the Day
February 26, 2011
Photography is one of my passions and, as such, I have hundreds of pictures. The other day I was looking through some of them and came upon this one. I love the rustic fence juxtaposed against the new path. I took this photo on a late fall afternoon when the days are shortening and the light is waning.
I considered tweaking the photo with image editing software but opted to leave it as taken. It’s perhaps a bit dark yet still appealing. It’s one of those moments a photographer hopes to capture, when the light is between day and night, offering a surreal quality to the image and scene.
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Trees and Snow and Hills and Beauty
Photos of the Day
February 20, 2011
I ventured off the beaten path and found an unexpectedly peaceful place.
The ice crunched underneath my feet and tires,
adding sound to the otherwise silent landscape.
Here were three trees, standing tall and majestic.
I walked across a field of hard snow to this red bench and thought to myself –
‘I’m walking on water’.
Being in the quiet and beauty of nature always makes me
feel connected to things greater than myself.
When did you last veer off the beaten path? What did you discover?
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Simplicity
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
~ Leonardo Da Vinci
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Winter Solstice: December 21, 2010
Photos of the Day:
Winter Has Arrived
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Bridge Photo: Civic Center Park
Crossing Minnehaha Creek in Minnetonka
The Civic Center Park is located north of Minnetonka’s City Hall. This park has 147 acres of land and features a soccer field, play equipment, trails, an outdoor amphitheater, and a canoe launch.
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Beauty in Imperfections
Hanging Garden
Global Tree Project
I came across this image on another blog and was immediately struck by the beauty and spirituality it portrays. This abandoned space, Holy Cross Church in Mount Adams, Cincinnati, Ohio, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s beauty is still so evident even while it is fading from neglect. To me, this Hanging Garden breathes new life into the space, awakening hope, opening eyes to the beauty within its walls, creating a sanctuary once again, calling for a restoration of this 19th century church to its full magnificence–so like nature herself.
“Developing my Global Tree Project HANGING GARDEN at Holy Cross Church,” says Turner-Yamamoto, “I was drawn to debris in the abandoned church where pieces of fallen plaster and paint fragments melded with age-old dust. The material reminded me of the ruins I saw in Italy. It presented an extreme and insistent form of reconciliation between human and nature.”
“I found beauty in the decay of the church,” says Turner-Yamamoto. “There’s a beauty in how things crack. You can see nature’s power. It’s like looking at a bolt of lightning—it’s the same for me.”
Art installation and photos by Shinji Turner-Yamamoto
GlobalTreeProject.org – Press Release
The artist Turner-Yamamoto discusses the project on this video:
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Photo of the Day: Delicately Dressed with Trees
Slender, delicate trees give this home a magical feel.
I love these slender trees in front of the windows of this home. They make me think of jewelry, adding sparkle to an otherwise unadorned wall. Other descriptions that come to mind as I view this scene: Window dressings from nature, a translucent fence between house and road, a sprinkle of color against a dark wall, paint splattered across a canvas, light-emitting life growing from the earth below.
The rest of the landscaping is equally as enchanting and helps to soften the angular lines of the home. The curving driveway and circular patio provide a welcoming entry and first impression.
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Photographed in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
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Photo of the Day: Making a Chore Fun
A Path in the Leaves
Photos taken with my cell phone while walking in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
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Photo of the Day: Fall’s Brilliant Colors
A Sight to Behold Surrounds Us
I hope you enjoyed this series of fall photos. They were taken in Minnetonka, Minnesota with my cell phone camera.
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