Tag Archives: Photography

Winter Garden

In the winter, my husband and I spend a lot of time on our south facing sun porch. On a sunny day, it is the warmest spot in the house. The porch looks out over the flower garden that borders this side of the house. Winter has taken its toll on the flowers and foliage, but as with the trees, it has also revealed the foundations of the garden and offers me a chance to reconsider and rearrange. I did a bit of that work in the fall but also have a window in the spring when I can make some changes.

In her book about Beatrix Potter’s garden, Marta McDowell comments that every gardener is tempted to start from scratch, but Potter was too “practical-minded” to do that. I am of a similar mind: this particular garden has been a work in progress for almost as long as we have lived at the farm, and each year, it gets closer to some kind of vision. But, also much like Potter, I don’t mind a bit of messiness. McDowell comments, “She never aimed for a show garden” (p. 271).

Here are a few pictures of the winter garden. I find the dry hydrangea blossoms and pineapple sage branches beautiful. And not everything is dead. That lovely green plant beside my bottle tree is rosemary, a winter garden stalwart.

Winter Garden

Fall on the Farm

Three blog posts in a row for the new month, and I am ready for a break from stringing words together. Instead, how about a few photos? I walk Major the blind diabetic beagle* around our 18 acres every morning, and while it can be a challenge to take pictures as he strains at the leash or digs for moles, I have been trying to capture at least one picture each day. Lately, the light has been wonderful, and today the sun touched the dew on the spider webs. Enjoy a glimpse into my little corner of the world.

*Don’t feel too sorry for him. He was born 11 years ago on the farm and we’ve had him since he was 7 weeks old. He has a well-established map of the house and farm and seems to be doing fine on insulin.