“Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.” –Pietro Aretino. Winter is a great time to appreciate the garden. While the perennials have died back and it will be months before the first crocus blooms, in winter we see our gardens’ true form. Witness the curve of the path, the arc of a trellis. There’s a quiet elegance in a winter garden.

As an Atlantic Canadian, whenever I travel out of the country, I’m often asked about igloos and polar bears. Although I can’t say I’ve ever seen a polar bear in my backyard (I live in zone 5b for goodness sake!), we do tend to get our fair share of snow each winter.