A fellow blogger suggested that if you become burned out from writing, the best thing is to take a break. Hence my long absence from this blog.
I have not been idle though. I have put a garden to bed and I have planted some bulbs. Several hundred more grape hyacinth and scilla went into the plum orchard, and for a little whimsy, I planted two hundred Poeticus Narcissus Pheasant’s Eye.
Fall Planting of spring bulbs
Plum Orchard
Bulbs give pleasure even in the winter, dreaming how they will look in the spring. Gardening is so much about looking forward.
After our first decent snowfall the canvas appeared blank at first, but during a winter walk I took a few photos of the meadows that surround my house. My eye site is better at this time of year due, I believe, to the sharp contrasts outdoors. The dried meadow plants look stunning against the blanket of snow.
And it’s not just the subtle tans, and browns of dried plants that star. The small nursery of willows looks exceptionally bright in the snowy landscape.
My other project has been working on a photo shop plan of my garden. It is my first such attempt, but not my last. How much detail to include, how much to leave out – it’s bit like the process of editing a garden. Winter is such a great time to reflect on our gardens, and I feel like writing again.
dried grasses in meadow
wild flowers along meadow path
Collection of brightly stem willows.
Totem Farm Garden Plan
Rooting for Ideas 
Can’t wait to see that orchard in bloom, wow! Gardening is a lot about dreams, hopes and looking forward to things. Guess this helps us to get through winter.
Annette- our winters can be 5 1/2 months long- so yes any chance to dream helps us through the long hibernation! I am guessing your winter is closer to 3 months?
Okay, I LOVE the snow in the headline photo (how did you do it?) but did you know it snows in all the photos now?
Hee, hee.
mbk
Yes Marjorie- it’s an option in wordpress for a month.
The snow is great! 🙂
I too planted pheasant’s eye, and continued to divide an old variety of n. poeticus that must have been growing at my farmhouse for the last hundred years or so (you are welcome to some!).
I noted last spring in Nepal the sheets of miniature iris, sensational, and wondered if they might grow in the Catskills… Ross
Hi Ross, Yes I would love to see the variety of N. Poeticus you have. I did plant some dwarf iris about 15 years ago and I saw them in bloom that first spring but they never bloomed again. I believe the squirrels or voles found the bulbs. They do grow here though. Maybe if you put them in chicken wire cages when you plant them.