Why I'm Not Looking Forward to Spring

5. Winter means no rushing and no distractions. The older I get, the more I feel overwhelmed by the garden. Not the effort, because I work only one or two days a year in my garden, but the color, the flying things, the deep folds of shadows and the sparks of petals contradicting the empty space of air and sky. I know, a landscape designer shouldn’t be saying any of this. I feel like I have to go outside every day in summer, and sometimes I don’t want to, but I’m afraid I’ll miss something. It’s like checking my Facebook feed every hour — I start to feel more frenetic and disconnected. In winter I feel more present, more centered, more at peace. Clarity is standing still.

3. Go for a Garden StrollThe holidays are a busy and often stressful time of year, and just getting out into your backyard can be one way to calm your mind. Instead of focusing on garden chores, the shrubs you should have cut back or the bulbs you wish you had planted, change the way you look at and experience your garden to one that’s more forgiving. The grasses you didn’t trim might catch the light in a beautiful way, or the seeds of a plant might be providing food for birds.14 Simple Pleasures to Savor This Winter