Winter's Promise: Buds protect new growth and herald the coming spring while contributing a subtle charm to the winter landscape

摘要

GARDENERS don't seem to weather dormancy as gracefully as their plants do. In winter we miss that close connection to the natural world, the changes and daily surprises that reward our close attention. Gardeners in northerly regions, of course, are most affected by this; lacking the wealth of broadleaf evergreens and early growth southern gardeners enjoy, their gardens won't be truly green again until May. But even in January, the promise of spring's renewal is present, clear as day in the swelling buds of woody plants.