Winter

Winter began officially on December 21, and since then our weather has gone from one extreme to the other--bitterly cold to very mild and back as weather systems roll across the country. Although they may seem extraordinary in the moment, such ups and downs are nothing new. Our native flora and many non-native plants are well adapted to constant weather fluctuations and generally take them in stride. They're as resilient to hard freezes and heavy snows as they are to unusually warm/dry spells. So take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy the quiet beauties of winter in the Tawes Garden: The moon framed by sunset-lit branches, snow dusting a path or mounding on the verges of the icy pond. Evergreen ferns defy the cold, the fountain glitters in the late Winter sun, and Lenten Roses begin their display. And toward the end of March a Heron stands amid reflected Daffodils, perhaps dreaming of the approaching Spring.