Winter Frosting
Jeanne DeBenedetti Keyes
Odd as it may sound, I love winter. Winter is a quiet time in the garden. The occasional crow flies by on silent wings. The wind gently rustles the pale beige leaves of last season’s perennials. The colors of the winter garden are the muted burgundy, brown and grey of bare tree limbs and fallen leaves, and the dark greens of conifers and evergreen ferns. Every leaf, twig and branch is covered with a fine layer of frost; almost as if the garden was dusted with sugar, it looks good enough to eat. Look how frost has delineated each tiny serration of this epimedium leaf. Winter is the best time for really “seeing” each delicate detail, renewing a sense of wonder for nature and the circle of life.
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