More of the colours of winter

Berberis fruits like brilliant carved rubies

A MUCH happier Rhododendron in the mild temperatures of this day

Flower head of Hydrangea Quercifolia blown off by the strong winds

Hakone Grass all blowing in the same direction

Things happening indoors too. The Poinsettias are dropping leaves and bracts.

 So pretty curled and twisted like little shells in lovely faded colours.

Buds of helleborus - the early red one.

That surprise I mentioned earlier at our front door. Snowdrops, undaunted by cold winds and freezing soil are pushing through valiantly. See the little "beaks" on the leaves ! Like the sharp little beaks wee birds use to peck through their eggshells as they hatch. Life is never easy, is it ?

It was mild today and all sorts of things were happening in the garden. Some interesting things were happening indoors too.Here is another drying poinsettia leaf. I LOVE them . They are my favourite part of having Poinsettias!

Orange, purple and black. Nice blends.

Indoors and down in our cellar , interesting things were happening too. I have been dyeing . Great fun and only minor mishaps which I may , some day, confess :-)

Chino and black on white.

 Another interesting colourway. I have missed dyeing! Once upon a time , I used to do a LOT!

My favourite bit of this piece!

                              It has been a good, productive and very interesting day at our house.

The colours of winter

Leaves under the Rhody, keeping her feet warm

Dry leaves of all sorts.

A heavily textured, delicately coloured  protective tapestry.

On a cold, grey day , the subtle colours of winter are comforting. Everything is gentle, quiet and monochromatic.

I will keep the camera handy so I can capture some more of this sombre palette until the green starts creeping through. In fact, when the light is better, I must post pictures of  the little surprise at our front door! Maybe tomorrow.

Cold Morning

Zowie! Suddenly, it is winter, almost snowless but ccc c cold! It is -14c at our back door and there is no snow cover to protect the garden. Thankfully, most of what I grow is hardy.This spindly little Rhododendron at the front door is my barometer. Look at the little leaves , quilled tightly to prevent moisture loss and freezing. As soon as it warms up, they will unfurl and look pretty again.

Here is my other favourite weather shot! This is right out the back door into the north corner of the garden and it has been shot over and over again in all sorts of weather. Look! Little or no snow. Devoid of animals,((but the bird feeders are full) The garden in general looks deserted, sere and miserable. What joy when spring comes and everything turns lush and green and flowery out there again. We shall enjoy each day though, in spite of and because of the weather. Good weather for starting things up in the arty department again after a Christmas lull.

Solstice

Winter us here officially though you would never guess to look out the window. As I type, I am looking at the little watercolour painting my daughter did of the inside of Maes Howe In Orkney. We visited there together a few years ago now and LOVED it ! It was SUCH a spiritual place. Maes Howe is a huge tomb there where the midwinter sun shines along a long tunnel and onto the opposite wall. Standing inside that eerie tomb made so long ago from huge flat slabs of Limestone, our minds were boggled thinking of the engineering required to move those mammoth pieces of stone to construct this fabulous monument. When the guide turned the lights off inside the tomb, we easily imagined ritual ceremonies thaking place marking this longest night,the darkest part of the year where, because it is so far north, the winter days are short already. It must have been a terrifying place in those days. We are so lucky to be able to switch on lights and to bring cheer into our homes and lives. Hope the light shines in your homes and lives. Happy Christmas! If I can find a picture, I will add it but I did not have a camera of my own in those days , so.....