Happy Winter's Solstice! As a plant person, I've always felt the significance of Winter's Solstice, the shortest day of the year. Although it's the beginning of winter, it is also the beginning of the return to spring, with the promise of lengthening days. Today is a reminder that winter is really here, with a winter storm blasting its way through. Driving home from work, the visibility was about 5 feet in spots. The car in front of me was nearly blown off the road, but managed to hang on at the last second. So this photo was about all I was willing to do, and appears misleadingly calm. Rosemary 'Frimley Blue' has survived the cold of winter without much trouble, but the thin sparse branches don't hold up to the snow very well. Here it is lit by the landscape lighting.
It's much nicer being indoors, where my tree is finally decorated. After sitting undecorated for weeks, we finally stayed up late last night to do some tree trimming. It's not done yet (the glass icicles aren't up, the tree skirt needs to be placed, and I wish I had more polar bear ornaments), but the madness has to stop somewhere. Since the evergreen tree is a pagan symbol, it had to be done enough by today. I've felt guilty about killing trees (and still do) but tree farms are supposed to be a good thing for the environment. Even though they are monocultures, I've read that they are long term projects that provide habitat, erosion control.
P - what's nice is how Dec 21 is the start of astronomical winter, but the middle of the climatic winter for us in the SW. The central and eastern US...it is just starting for them, and goes later. Your rosemary looks good, waiting for this stuff to end! You weren't joking about the wind while driving. Hadn't realized that about tree farms - nice.
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