I’m not expecting many people will read this.
Hopefully people are enjoying the company of friends and family. However there will be people who, for whatever reason, won’t be quite so blessed this year.
Many cultures in the northern hemisphere celebrate festivals at this low point of winter, and have done so for centuries. It’s a dark time and inevitably it can make us a bit glum; celebrations mean so much more in hard times. I know the short days, so often grey and gloomy, really get me down (remember I am in the UK…!).
Traditional festive red and gold colouring of Camellia ‘Yuletide’
Spring is coming.
Winter can be a magical time for gardeners. There are some winter flowers to enjoy, and winter can also be a time of peace and tranquillity in the garden; if conditions are too bad for gardening then you have no choice but to leave the garden alone. Winter is also a time to spend looking at pictures of other people’s gardens, online and in books, dreaming of the joyous summer to come.
To those enjoying this season I wish you great joy. To those enduring difficult times I wish you great comfort.
We must all still endure the winter to come, but I’m really looking forward to sharing the joy of the coming spring with you all.
Ben, I always look forward to your posts, so it is gratefully that I pause in the dark this Christmas morning to reflect with you on the enforced peace of winter and looking forward to the gladness of spring. Thank you for coming into our Inbox this day 🙂
That’s kind of you to say, thank you.
Happy Festivus! (Looking forward to Marianne and Scott airing grievances)
To you too!
I’m sure they’ll oblige.
Merry Christmas Ben. Thanks for the encourageing words.
You’re welcome, and a merry Christmas to you too.
Happy Christmas Ben
Happy Christmas to you too John.
Happy Festivus! (Looking forward to Marianne and Scott airing grievances)
Happy Christmas Ben. I have enjoyed your rants throughout the year
To you too; I’ll endeavour to keep high standards through 2024!
Very well said and sentiments for all of us to keep in mind. Thank you for the expression of kindness.
Happy holidays!
There are those families on the US, East Coast with COVID. The computer is our friend. Look forward to Boxing Day.
I know a few people who aren’t meeting their families for various reasons. It’s just one of those things, but doesn’t exactly fit with the ‘ideal Christmas’ thing!
Thank you for all your writing. Here in Oregon, we have lots of gray through the winter, too, but hope for a good soaking to fend off summer wildfires. My daughter is in London, so I’m always interested in your perspective from the UK. Again, thanks, and Merry Christmas!
People in the UK complain about rain, but we’re lucky not to have wildfires and the extreme flooding etc that other places suffer.
Merry Christmas to you too.
This year I’m hearing more people saying that we need to remember those who struggle at this “festive” time. Perhaps this is a sign that we are growing in our awareness, that we’re becoming more thoughtful. That’s a ray of hope for humanity on a dark, rainy Christmas Day. Thanks, Ben.
Absolutely. Let’s hope that things improve for everyone.
And a happy thought; daylight is coming back in the northern hemisphere. Although sunrise is at its latest, sunset has already been pushed back by 8 minutes here in east US. More daylight does wonders for my emotional outlook.
It’s nice to not be quite so hemmed in by the darkness…
Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your posts throughout the year.
I always look forward to our winter gardening time in zone 7b/8a. 40’s, 50’s and 60’s (5° to 15°C) are so much more pleasant than humid high 80’s and 90’s (25° to 35°C).
Wonderful working weather.
The evergreens shine.
My ridiculous, over exuberant summer jungle is tamed and refined for a few months.
The beautiful tall shade trees let all the winter sun in.
A perfect sunny day in the garden.
Hoping you have se wonderful winter days.
Happy New Year!
Thank you Ben, its perfect you wrote a post. I’ve been wanting to thank you and the other Garden Ranters. I have a boring non horticulture job on the computer. When its slow, I fill my brain, reading your posts. Thank you for inspiring me, validating I’m not crazy w/ my garden antics, and giving me a community of horticulture minded friends in my otherwise isolated home. Happy New Year!
We’re delighted the people enjoy reading our posts, escpecially when people are isolated. Gardening in its various forms is practiced by such a diverse range of people, and being able to bring people together over a mutual joy is an honour.