It’s been a while since I’ve shared photos of my garden, mostly because once the bright colors of fall were gone, I’ve looked out the window and thought “blah, who’d want to see that?”

I really admire four-season gardeners. They’re the people who are out regardless of the weather, admiring the way the freezing rain bends the stalks or whatever. I am not among them. I spend the entire winter feeling a little sorry for my plants (and also for myself). It’s cold, they’re dead, turning that frown upside down won’t make it any warmer. Instead of “appreciating the frost,” I just stay inside and drink hot chocolate and look at seed catalogs and dream of spring.

But today the cold spell in New York City broke, and I took myself out to survey the terrace, and you know what? It’s actually pretty lovely in a spare winter sort of way.  Those fuzzy buds in the photo above are on my little terrace-sized magnolia trees. They appeared this fall, but they hardly seemed as note-worthy as scarlet peach tree leaves. Now, they’re little gray-green candle flames, lighting up the garden.

Another bright spot: winter blooming heather.

I bought it last spring in full bloom, and you never know quite what feats of fertilizing and artificial light have gone in to making nursery plants bloom the way the do. I doubted I’d be able to coax the same blooms out of the bush. But here it is, as pink and pretty as it ever was. In January. I love this plant.

My roses are another surprising bit of pink. Every leaf bud starts out a beautiful salmon color, and I’m so pleased to see them pinking up this early. Not as showy as a big flower, obviously, but it’s winter. I’ll take it!

And then, of course, there’s the mint. I told you it was hardy. Here it is, after days and days of ice, still green and hatching its plans to take over the world.

I’d still trade January for June if I could, but in the meantime, I’ve positioned the heather right outside the window. That’s something!

Tags: this week in the garden, winter gardens