There is something invigorating about a walk on a cold, blustery day. With the wind slashing at every extremity or exposed bit of skin, there comes a sharpness, a keen reminder that I am alive! The cold somehow narrows my focus; I notice things I walk right past on pleasant days–the textures of tree bark and boulders, a delicate spray of Pine needles on a weathered rock, a splash of berries clinging to leafless branches . . . .

Without the brilliant colors and clamor of the other seasons, the structure of the landscape is sharpened and clarified. And, while the walk is brisk (after all, the bitter cold IS real!), there is time to give thanks for the ‘everywhere’ beauty of our garden and the chance to rub shoulders with it in each season of the year.

Contributed by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& winter garden wanderer)

In late winter, when the cold has outworn its welcome, few things are more heartening than hints that spring is just around the corner. In our garden, the very first sign of spring is the blooming of our ‘Arnold’s Promise’ Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) shrub. Even before Vs of geese chorus across the sky, before the first robins begin hopping about on the lawn, and before the Crocuses push up through the damp soil, delicate yellow blossoms appear on our ‘Arnold’s Promise’ Witch Hazel. And it always takes us by surprise!

Not long ago, while I was out walking, a fresh, airy–yet floral–scent grabbed my attention. I couldn’t imagine where it was coming from, since I hadn’t yet seen any flowering trees or shrubs. A quick search led me by the nose to our Witch Hazel shrub. Of course! I should have remembered: this is always our first sign that spring is coming!!!

Joyfully reposted (from a few years ago) by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& spring scent seeker)

“Long before the first piece of sod is turned, long before the seeds are ordered or the plants purchased or the first buds begin to open, the garden takes root in the mind, the heart, the imagination. And even after the garden has begun, it continues to be fed from the gardener’s dreams.”

~ Emily Barnes (contemporary American author, from Time Began in a Garden)

Whatever your garden dreams, we can help make them a reality. CALL US NOW to get started: 717-653-1273.

Joyfully shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& winter “garden dreamer”)

I am so grateful for a husband who cares for our feathered friends by planting trees and shrubs for their shelter and providing food for their sustenance.

My heart warms to know our garden is a winter haven for many varieties of birdlife and delights in the life and beauty these feathered friends add to my days!

Contributed by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife (& avid bird watcher)

“We are accustomed to consider Winter the grave of the year, but it is not so in reality. Winter is pause in music, but during the pause the musicians are privately tuning their strings, to prepare for the coming outburst. Underground, beneath snow and frost, next spring and summer are secretly getting ready. In Nature there is no such thing as paralysis. Each thing flows into the other, as movement into movement in graceful dances.”

~Alexander Smith (Scottish poet and essayist; 1829-1867)

What spring or summer garden plans are you turning over in your mind during the winter pause? We’d love to hear from you and help you “prepare for the coming outburst” now: 717-653-1273.

Shared by Betty Hanselman

Gardener’s wife