Winter Offers Rest to Garden

Winter Offers Rest to Garden and Gardener Winter can be a depressing time of year for most gardeners. The flowers have long since dropped their vibrant blooms, and the greenery that once was so soothing has been replaced by muted hues of brown and gray. Days are spent reflecting upon last summer's garden, only intensifying the longing for spring and the sun's warmth once again.

I, for one, look forward to winter. The hectic pace of summer leaves me little time to think about my garden. I thoroughly enjoy pouring through the stacks of books and journals that I have accumulated over the summer. It is refreshing to just sit and think about flowers, as rewarding to me as actually working with them. There are so many varieties that I have never known about or had considered using in my garden. Each year I find room for one or two more. I am inspired (and humbled) by master gardeners, long deceased, who were so diligent in writing down their experiences with gardening. I vow this year to keep a journal as they did, not so much because I consider myself a master gardener but out of a tradition held so dearly by all of us; that is, a desire to share the passion with whomever will accept it.

I gladly put my garden to bed, like a child who requires a much-needed nap so that I, too, can be rejuvenated.