Yesterday it was gray, but mostly dry.
Today it is sunny — not warm, but still dry, and such a bright blue sky!
Here are a few more pictures from the garden in front, to celebrate this shortest day and the beginning of the return of the light!
The “herb medallion” in the center of the garden parterre still looks lovely, the silvery green of the thyme with the golden green of marjoram and bluer-greens of chives and strawberries against the old terracotta pot.
My faithful gardening companion waiting outside the fenced area for me to finish harvesting a few veggies for soup.
Proof that the cold frames are doing their jobs… here are baby lettuces growing in the new cold frame. I didn’t lift the lid so it would stay warm!
An interesting wood fungus that had fallen to the lawn overnight. About an inch and a half tall, looks like something I have seen in soups… but not something I would try without expert advice!
Several days before I expected it, I noticed the familiar red of the witch hazel blossom peeking out as I walked into the house.
Yes, the shortest day of the year, a beginning time. A time of challenge, a time of danger. A time of opportunity.
While most of our land sleeps, we are already thinking of the times to come. We’ll go through seed packets, seed catalogs, lists and logs from previous years, plant encyclopedias…
And we’ll plan for the future. A future that is sure to be different than we anticipate, but one that will be interesting and fun.