Live each day as if it were your last, and garden as though you will live forever.
(Author Unknown)
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After two years of posting a Tuesday view it was very strange not to do so this week… but the view is getting ugly and I am tired of it. On Monday I had cut back most of the shrinking plants and finished mulching with shredded leaves – not a pretty sight! Perhaps I will come up with a new view in spring, but for now it’s time for hibernation reflection and dreaming of warm spring sunshine and colour!
Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.
(Henry David Thoreau)
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Whilst tidying up I noticed that the Centranthus, which still had a couple of flowers on it, was already sprouting new leaves from the base. I am always amazed at how few Centranthus plants there are that fill the whole rockery in summer. One small plant that got pulled up by mistake has been replanted and I hope I will now have those red flowers all summer on the west side of the rockery too. I also noticed some Hellebore flowers and a few grape hyacinth leaves, although most of the garden is now looking brown and bare. But wasn’t it glorious in the summer!
What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.
(Author Unknown)
~~~
In December I shall be quietly reflecting on the year in my garden and will share a few of my favourite moments. It would be lovely if any of you would like to join me and also share some of your best memories of your gardens in 2014.
What do you say?
🙂
Words and Herbs 
It’s nice to reflect and savor what made the garden special too you. I hope to join you Cathy.
…make that “to you”
Thanks Susie. The garden chores are practically done until spring now, so I have the chance to reflect and think about plans for next year. Hope you manage to join me!
Great minds think alike (never mind the second line about fools…). I’ve been thinking of the cold winter outside and planning to do exactly the same as you. Otherwise, I may not make ti to spring alive! thanks for your post. I enjoyed it!
This is my way of getting through the darkest month too. The lack of light is a real problem here in winter as we get a lot of fog and low cloud in our valley, so photos of sunnier days do me good! Glad you enjoyed the post. More coming soon!
These photos … are they pictures of your garden NOW, in November? [?]
Oh I wish! But no, the first is June I think, the next one was spring, and the third is July! LOL!
Okay, good, my sense of reality is restored. I know you’re in Europe and I’m on the East Coast of the United States so … for an instance I thought … maybe!!! 🙂
I am looking forward for your posts and I feel like a child in front of a christmas calendar. As my time runs very fast I can´t promise to join in – but I´ll try!
If I had thought of it earlier an Advent calendar of the year’s flowers would have been a nice idea. Maybe next year! Hope you manage to join in!
Gardens never look their best at this time of year. My mum has been looking out of the window sighing at the state of ours although we do have some fuchsias still clinging on.
I look forward to your year of the garden montage, you must have so many shots to choose from!
I hardly know how to reduce the year to just a few photos, but will have to be strict with myself for fear of boring everyone! LOL!
Sounds like a good idea, reflecting on the summer past is a good past-time for December.
The garden is not much to look at now, so looking through old photos will lift my spirits! 🙂
wonderful quotes and photos. Have a wonderful week-end, regards Mitza
Thank you Mitza. Have a lovely week!
Glorious sight indeed of this border! Maybe it’s time to think of something new instead of the Tuesday view. I’d like to join you and will do my best. Have a good weekend 🙂
Hope you can join in Annette. I get so much inspiration from your garden!
Winter has always been a favorite season for me, but I’ve never lived anywhere that snow was a big problem. The Thoreau is a good quote for me because I dearly love the change of seasons and marking time by bloom times and the cycles of life. Now that I live under a canopy of towering hardwood trees, winter is especially welcome for the light it brings.
That is lovely – to have more light in winter when you need it most. Our winters are often grey and light levels low despite having less foliage around us. I especially like the bit in the Thoreau quote about resigning yourself… there is little we can do to change the ways of nature, so we must go with the flow and savour it! 😉
So many memories to be sure 🙂
Oh yes, all those flowers and bees and butterflies… 🙂
Your colourful spring and summer garden memories brighten up those grey November days.
Simply beautiful, Cathy! And I love the quotes.
Thank you Elisabeth. More summer photos to come soon… we need reminding of the sunshine at this time of year!
I can totally relate Cathy, to the weary garden and gardener. Your Tuesdays at two posts have been awesome over the last two seasons. I love your photos today and will try to join the December reflections theme. (At least once!)
Thanks Andrea, and hope you can join in…. I need all the colour I can get at this time of year!
An excuse to look through lots of sunny summer photos is a great idea… count me in!
Great! Look forward to seeing your photos too Sarah!
Haha, I laughed when I read your post… The view is getting ugly and I’m tired of it! Such blunt honesty. That sums up the month of September here when things were so dry, and I’m sure the same thought will run through my head a couple times between now and march.
Didn’t you start looking at this view some time during the winter? I remember thinking the lavender looked awfully dead and grey, nothing even close to the summertime showcase it became. So much color that exploded!
I love the spring bulbs picture. I feel like you rarely show that bed, but you must have at least once since the corydalis look familiar! I’ve already been reflecting plenty, I miss the garden and can’t wait for the first snowdrop 🙂
I just can’t summon up the enthusiasm to be positive about my garden in winter Frank! I often think I should cut back all that ugly grey lavender in winter, and in fact I do cut back a couple of bushes each year, but then I look at the photos of it flowering and filling so much space in July and attracting so many bees! I’ll try and show that spring bed more next year, as i have topped up the tulips in there and hope the snowdrops will put on a better show too. 🙂
This is the time of year when I write more about books, gardens I’ve visited while traveling, as well as birds and other animals. But I really like your idea, I’ll give it a try.
That would be great Jason! I shall enjoy seeing some photos of your garden in all its glory again!
Do you think the grey weather is making you feel tired of your view Cathy, I would like it here if you could possibly parcel it up and send it over.
The summer view yes, the winter view really is depressing though! I’m hoping for a couple of cold snowy weeks in January and then a sunny spring from February on! 😉
It’s still a beautiful garden, even in its waning weeks! You have so much diversity that something is always still providing color, it seems. My gardening goals for this time of year is planning for spring. I really want to add more natives that will hopefully attract bees and butterflies. I’m currently just doing my homework on the subject! And guess what, Cathy? We have had rain all day! Woohoo! 🙂
There is very little colour left now, but those shots of spring and summer keep me going through the dark cold months! Glad you got rain…. it must be such a relief after such long periods of heat. I shall look forward to hearing how your spring plans go… I have no idea what is native in your region, so I will certainly learn something new too! 🙂
It is nice that you still have a little color to be found on close inspection. Our world was basically brown until last Wednesday when it snowed. I think it will be a long time before I will see any green sprouts coming out of the ground.
I do love that moment though, when I spot the first green shoot showing through the snow, and will look forward to that. 🙂
Oh yes, I agree. The first shoots let us know that nature is reawakening and we are in for a beautiful show to follow shortly afterwards.
Cathy, this is the true spring of the garden year, when the bulbs are preparing under ground for flowering. It will soon be The Winter Solstice, the days will lengthen, and we shall all feel reinvigorated! Don’t be weary.
Thank you. You are quite right Brian. It’s a good time to do exactly what those bulbs are doing and gather strength for the coming year. Looking back at the wonderful flowers I had this year is one way of me regenerating!
I love ALL of those quotes!! Very lovely. You’re photos are refreshing to see at this time of year too! 🙂 Have a wonderful Christmas Cath!
Thanks Diane! It was enjoyable picking out bright and cheerful pictures to post in the midst of a very grey December!
I will be sharing some of my gardens (as they looked over the years) as I continue to contemplate changes and will post them in my Garden journal posts…I’ll be sure to link in….great time to reflect as everything is covered in white right now.
It’s still green and grey here! Yes, winter in general is a good time to take stock.