A Long Winter's Nap for Bears and Gardeners

We have a lot in common in the winter--black bears and gardeners. Hibernating and waiting for spring to unfold. Last month, I was sitting by the fire reading a gardening book when it hit me, I AM a gardener. Sometime in the last decade I had gone from puttering in the yard putting plants where I liked them best (with no regard to where they would actually grow) to spending indoor months plotting my garden for spring.

I remember my dad pouring over seed and bulb catalogs each winter, the cold rain beating on the window. I always thought, "Geez Dad, take a break from the yard." Now I understand and think to myself, "When can I get outside again, dig in the dirt and watch the blooms open in the warm sun."

With snow in the forecast on this gray winter day, I take my cue from the black bear and curl up for nap dreaming things to come. Being a coastal gardener, I will count deer instead of sheep!