Winter Wonderland

The snow, powdery and whipped about by the wind, is reaching a depth of two feet outside. The gardens must be smiling. Cozy and safe from the wind under their white blanket.

I love looking at the gardens during a snowstorm. All that's visible are trees and the upper branches of shrubs. Everything is shrouded and the world is quiet. Lovely.

When the wind dies down and the sun emerges from the cloud cover, everything will look bright and crisp.

Indoors, I'm making a slow-cooking potato-leek-carrot soup. YUM! Nearby, on the south-facing kitchen windowsill I can admire Amaryllis "Basuto" from South Africa, which has been blooming since shortly after Christmas. It sits in a pot that I found in Stockholm and reminds me that winter doesn't have to be dreary!

Seed Dreams

In the living room, I have the seed catalogues nearby to get me thinking about what I'll grow this year. The pictures and descriptions are always seductive. And why not? I think gardening is really about optimism and paying close attention to life. What's more natural than nurturing a seed and helping it become a beautiful flower or vegetable that we can all admire and enjoy?