We are getting closer to the shortest day and everything seems gray. I am in that period of time I have often written about where I only see my garden in daylight at the weekend, I feel the absence of light and color keenly.
At the point I am writing this, the garden is thawing from last weekend's snow. There are still a few patches of snow on the ground in the colder parts of the garden. I look at the gray overcast skies and in my mind all seems gray.
The colours of the garden appear tired and washed out, leached away by the cold. In sympathy with my garden, I feel tired and washed out.
Close up the garden sighs, but with more distance ...
there is definite color. There are bronzes and greens offset by the darker browns. The patches of snow and the frozen pond add some light and the beech pillars are getting closer to becoming the pillars I long for them to be.
Suddenly the realisation of color makes everything seem brighter. I briefly considered that a splash of blue sky would be welcome, but then I might have been distracted by the sky. It is the muted background of the sky that makes the colours seem so welcome. Now I want to knit something in these colours, a winter jumper the colours of the winter garden. It will have to be done.