Green, Tan, Gray And Brown, The Winter Colors

December 18, 2018

Green, tan, gray and brown, the winter colors are upon us. Our gardens mimic nature, except we have many more shades of green. Many of our plants are non native so there is more diversity of color. The gray of my Hollyhock stalks seems to add a dimension of their own. Being tall they connect to the gray of the winter sky and make me notice it more..

The tan of the dried garlic seed heads is the same color as the dried grass of the fields we walk in every day. The brown composted areas and barren earth have taken on some red tones, and feel inviting. Winter gardening involves observing, because there is so little to do. You can get warm feelings from just enjoying the memories of last year's successes, and anticipating next year's bounty..

December 19, 2018

The dried seed stalks in the garden are attracting lots of sparrows. They are welcome this time of year, and are very entertaining. Watching them makes me think they are cleaning up insect eggs and weed seeds. They are so nervous, and constantly looking around, that it's hard to believe a cat could catch one. The lettuce on one side of the garden is getting eaten, but the spinach on the other side is not. Location, location, location..

The blackberry bushes by the spinach row provide perfect cover for cats to lurk in. The lettuce is out in the open with a 360° view. My wire hoops, with bird netting on them, got enveloped by the blackberry bushes this year, because I stacked them too close to the fence. If I start cutting them out now I might be able to get to them by my February 15th transplanting time..

December 20, 2018

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones seeking significance, and the ones seeking to not feel insignificant. Oh yeah, then there is grampa gardeners. We are as significant as the shadows and feel full. Every pebble we see will out last us, and as such, takes on a significance greater than ours. We can feel in harmony with the seasons that we are apart of, and restful concerning the busy life of the past..

We can actually begin to be glad it's done, and encourage the process of disengaging from the world of talking, possessions and finances. Accepting peacefulness can bring great joy. The winter garden, with it's somber countenance, causes introspection. The spring garden brings us back to life..