Changes

Most people live where there are seasonal changes. The days get longer or shorter at different times of the year. The temperature changes. The weather patterns change. It may become more overcast for longer periods of time, or it may remain cloudless for months. These changes affect our lives in many ways.

This is especially true when you live and garden in cold climates.

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Winter in the temperate climates where it gets cold enough to cause plants to die or go dormant means that there is much less green around, but there is also less work to do in the garden. I think most people would go for the lush greens of the growing season, gladly choosing them over the drab browns of winter, even if it means more work.

As an example, this was one view of my garden from back in July:

Here's almost the same view from a few days ago:

It's always a big shock for me to pull up photos from earlier in the year -- everything is so overwhelmingly green! I so quickly get accustomed to the browns that I forget how alive the yard was.

Here's another view:

Thank goodness I'm growing a lot of bamboo, because besides a few evergreen conifers, they're providing the only green right now.

Today these older photos are not too painful to look at, since the memory of the past growing season is still pretty fresh for me. In a couple of months though, looking at these will definitely fuel my desire for the end of winter, and feed my spring fever. (click for larger versions)

For now though, they're just interesting comparisons of my yard at two different times of the year, showing some of the changes that occur.

(I really need to work on duplicating these panoramic shots more closely. Although I don't expect myself to remember the camera settings or exact position I stood in after 4 months, I should be able to review the older photos before taking the new ones. It would be nice to have photos that were a little better matched.)