The Garden in Winter

I recently visited FiLoLi in Woodside, California, a home and garden on the National Register, to experience its garden in winter.

Looking through the garden gate you see some of its evergreen hedges, and a glimpse of color

And as you walk through the rose garden, you see that the gardeners have been hard at work pruning the bushes.

Soon, you see some tentative shoots looking for sun

In the orchard, you find a tree that is bare except for one desiccated fruit still clinging to the branch that bore it.

And then you begin to see evidence that the trees are responding to the spring warmth and starting to bud

But it’s the golden carpet of daffodils surrounding the trees that loudly proclaim that spring is here!

There seem to be so many different kinds of daffodils!

And there’s a flowering hedge

Pots of hyacinths

With bees collecting pollen for this year’s honey

And one gnarled magnolia covered with lichen

Struggling in the shade and cold to produce at least one bloom

What a wonderful gift Spring is!

Berkeley, CA 2/24/18