Come January and the kind of weather we've been having - snow, ice fogs, sudden temperature rises to rain immediately followed by chills of -20C accompanied by sharp stinging winds, more snow and so on - I think we gardeners may be excused if we just go dormant.
But today I wandered around and admired some seed heads with their comical snow hats and some grasses still looking wonderful, all yellow and green with snow packed into them, and the fine patterns made by the snow on the branches of the balsam firs.
Suddenly I felt alive enough to go and get the camera and take a short walk. Down by the marsh I was rewarded when the sun came out and lit up the shrubs on the far shore, still covered with ice from the last ice fog.
When I got back I watered all my houseplants and inspected the tiny fern seedlings growing under the lights in the Studio with new interest. Maybe it was the sunshine, maybe the fresh air.... whatever it was, I found myself thinking that after all, spring is really only two months away!
