Tag Archives: saratoga

A Spring Garden

A Spring Garden
“A Spring Garden” — A green corner of the Japanese garden at Hakone Estate and Gardens.

In early spring we found time to spend an evening at the Hakone Estate and Gardens, where a celebration of spring in general and cherry blossoms specifically was taking place. One can go there at almost any time of day, but evenings are special. We arrived in late afternoon light and then, as we wandered the garden, the light faded to sunset and then twilight as colorful lights came on to illuminate the cherry trees.

Of course, there is much more to see there than just the cherry trees. The buildings of the estate are fascinating, there are pools and streams, bridges, and also sorts of flooring plants, bushes, and trees. In one corner of the garden, on a hilly path, I came upon this corner filled with extremely lush spring plants.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Desert Springs

Desert Springs
Ponds from desert springs in a remote part of Death Valley National Park.

Desert Springs. © Copyright 2022 G Dan Mitchell.

Ponds from desert springs in a remote part of Death Valley National Park.

Usually my photographs are, at least to my mind, more about how I see something than about the thing I saw — though there is always a bit of tension between those two things. This one is more about “the thing” itself. If you look closely there is a series of three lakes or ponds in this improbable location, far out on the fringes of one of the hottest and driest places in North America. This spot has a history involving mining, the transportation of goods, and some nearby springs. But the amazement of finding water in such a place is shared with all such locations.

I’ve long felt that desert landscapes are among the best places to see the effects of water. Along a stream fed by mountain snowpack, water is a given. Out here it is rare, and you have to look around to see the many signs of its work. A playa? Formed by water. A gigantic fan spreading out from a desert mountain valley? Water. Undulating terrain under the roadway? Water. A small but striking strip of green? Water. The rugged forms of badlands? Water. The effects are literally everywhere you look.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.