For some people, late winter can be a rather bleak time of year. I understand that mindset and shared it for many years. But my attitude towards winter is changing, now that I have a garden.
A few years ago, I began taking daily walks. We have a fairly long driveway, so I tend to stay on our property when I walk. This puts me in our garden virtually every day of the year. As a result, I am party to some spectacular seasonal events. Of course, I notice (and often announce excitedly to my children and grandchildren) the first robins and crocuses in the spring, or the first phalanx of geese flying south in the fall.
But even in the winter, when the trees are bare and the lawn is an unsightly tan, there are exciting things to observe and celebrate. And, with less competition for attention in this relatively drab and colorless season, each discovery becomes that much more exciting. Even a brisk walk to the mailbox can be rewarding. Just the other day, as I walked to get the mail, my approach startled three cardinals in the shrubbery. What a delight to watch them swoop ahead of me down the driveway!
In any other season, with so much color and activity, this spectacular event may have gone unnoticed. But on that cold, gray day, those scarlet harbingers of joy had my undivided attention! I’m discovering that a garden is a treasury of delights… even in winter!
–Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& daily joy seeker)
