Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I have an artful ornament given to me by a lifelong friend. The denim-dressed gardener with flowers on her skirt looks like she’s flying, carrying a pole with dangling garden tools. Like a perennial border decorating a backdrop of trees in the distance, a feathery garden of ice crystals adorns the window from which she hangs. So lovely. While admiring her, I noticed her tag: Veggies, Shrubs, Flowers and Trees. A Day in the Garden is All My Soul Needs. But the garden is beyond spring, summer, and fall, as our Garden of Life is winter, too, when we welcome winter sights and silence. May I share a walk with you?
Blue cast snow welcomes the morning.
The artful trunk of a Weeping Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum.)
In the early morning hours, as the sun began to lighten the sky, the snow had a cast of blue, and the moon was still visible above the covered footbridge over the pond. The Hemlock trees looked like black lace against the dark blue sky.
Once the sun rose, long shadows striped the snowy, sloped front yard. As I tried to wrestle on Jolee’s boots, she curled her paws like a toddler does when trying to put on shoes. I managed to get them on, and the dear girl walked as if she were on hot coals, lifting her feet.
After tending to business, she sat in the rock garden, humiliated by her footed wardrobe. Off they came. I considered walking the road, but paws can become frostbitten even when the road is dry. Despite the theory that the sun warms the snow, white’s reflective nature may make it colder than the air. Pets can get frostbite in fifteen to thirty minutes, so we stay close to home on frigid days if we need to go inside.
Winter Sights and Sounds
Andromeda (Pieris Japonica)
While enjoying the winter’s sights, sounds, and silence, I marveled over the shapes of tree trunks, not always straight. One trunk looked like a bent knee, the kneecap and calf frosted in snow. A weeping Japanese maple I bought as a tiny tree has grown beautifully. How magnificent the bark is becoming, the mottled greenish cast almost like camouflage. Behind it, an Andromeda (Pieris Japonica) with cascading reddish flower heads dusted with snow. And Astilbe’s dry, feathery seed heads (Astilbe Japonica) spike up like flags above the blanket.
Black Eyed Susan seed pods are eyeballs in reverse.
Looking from above at a set of Black-Eyed Susan seed pods, the eyeballs are in reverse, with pupils white instead of black. The whorled needles of the Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) hold onto the fluffy white decorations from top to toe.
The snow squeaks as I cross-country ski; I adore the sound and frozen nose hairs. People think that’s silly, maybe crazy, but frigid weather is invigorating when adequately dressed.
Embrace the Child Within
The ice formations look like a row of cow udders, fitting for farm country.
We head to the front of the house, where a row of hydrangeas stands with lovely dry flowers. One formation consists of a cluster of dry blooms with two white-capped dry flowers above them. It looks like a moose head. Gazing at things like clouds and patches of moss and seeing formations is fun while walking in nature. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the kid in me. May we all embrace our child within.
No matter where you are, there are treasures of nature in winter that you can relish. We are blessed to live on Jacksonburg Creek; the sound of water soothes the soul. It amazes me how water can freeze while it moves. The ice formations below the large flat rocks look like a row of cow udders, fitting for farm country. Along the water’s edge, Jolee stops to bark at the squirrels that live in the dead tree still standing. It’s the only time she barks, reaching with her front paws on the trunk dusted in snow.
I see a moose. How about you?
The whorled needles of the Umbrella Pine hold onto the snow.
The Soothing Silence of Winter
There’s such beauty in the world, and amongst it is the silence. Like in music, the silence between the notes enriches the melody. It’s the silence in our hearts that grows the love. Take time to be silent and marvel over the beauty of the world around you and the miracle that goes on in the unseen. Maybe you’re not a fan of winter, the frigid cold, the etchings of crystals on your windows, the squeaking snow, or frozen nose hairs (smile), but enjoy the stillness and the peaceful space of silence.
I reflect on the last lines of verse 45 of the Tao Te Ching: Activity conquers cold. Inactivity conquers heat. Stillness and tranquility set things in order in the Universe. Yes, indeed, a perfect unfolding.
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com and your favorite Podcast App.
There’s more to the story in the Garden Dilemmas Podcast (a soothing 10 minutes):
Related Posts and Podcasts you’ll enjoy:
Winter Season of Growth – Blog Post
Ep 84. Winter Season of Growth
Berries for Winter Beauty and Wildlife -Blog Post
Ep 142. Berries for Winter Beauty and Wildlife
