A few weekends ago I drove a big loop around The Great Salt Lake. I had never been to the uppermost corner of Northwest Utah and when I get curious about an idea or a place, I can't help myself and plans of exploration are set into motion. I brought a winter sleeping bag with me, just incase; extra gasoline, just incase; extra food and water, just incase.

It was a beautiful drive with lots of moody weather. I saw more cows than people I am sure. More dirt and gravel roads than paved. Some things went as planned, and other didn't. Just like a landscape design, actually.

While I am out in nature I pay attention to how what I am seeing or feeling could be incorporated into a residential landscape or garden. Light and shadow play, the power of a stretch of straight road, recognizing plant succession and how most plants move in groups, how the influence of man juxtaposes itself against wild nature and how to strike that balance well. And there's always the color palettes to look for. It was a very blue, white and golden-brown-grey day. Very Northern Utah.