The Art & Soul of Winter

‘How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!’
 - Thomas Wentworth Higginson

It comes quietly. The soft snow slowly spirals down covering branch, leaf, and earth. The first snowfall is always a bit magical, gently signaling that winter is at the doorstep. How do you greet winter - with a sigh, a grumble, or quiet cheer? Though outside the landscape will lie dormant in shades of white, gray, and brown for the next few months, color and growth can be found inside our homes in our indoor gardens.
​

Tending to those houseplants teaches us lessons of patience and nurtures our spirit, but there is something especially wonder-filled about watching an Amaryllis emerge from, let’s be honest, an ugly bulb. Nestling it into a warm bed of rich brown potting mix exposing its shoulders in a pretty pot is a lesson in faith and hope. That unassuming bulb is full of potential beauty! So we plant. Then we wait.
​

photo source: blog.longfield-gardens.com

A green tip begins to emerge! We watch as it pushes up from its cocoon, stretching and reaching. Then, with bated breath, we witness not one, not two, not even three, but four buds swell. A glimpse of color is revealed right before the miracle comes into its full glory. Like wings of a butterfly, the flowers fully open, and nothing else can compare with their beauty. The subtle colors of the slumbering landscape outside the window make the perfect backdrop for the bright, bold colors of this horticulture diva. Can there be any question why Amaryllis means ‘to sparkle’?

photo source: edenbrothers.com

​Amaryllis flowers come in many colors: deep burgundies, pure whites, rich reds, and elegant stripes. There’s even a terra cotta hue with a burgundy throat and white edging each petal. It’s amazing these lovely plants come with such little demands. All they ask is that you enjoy their beauty. Perhaps this is what is meant by the art and soul of winter: to plant hope, see the beauty in this season, and share it with others.  

What a gift of wonder! Who can you share it with?

Learn more about growing Amaryllis here.