Welcome December

The month that welcomes winter does not present the anticipation that March or April hold when signs of new life start to emerge outside. But December, does offer many things to look forward to. First, there is the holiday season, which basically encompass the entire month. I look forward to baking breads and cookies and trying out new recipes that will warm the kitchen with heat from casseroles in the oven and soups on the stove. The shorter days provide plenty of hours in the evening to peruse the seed catalogs, which have already started arriving. I will also have the time to read through my garden journal to recall what worked well and what didn't this past season so that I can make adjustments for next year. With Thanksgiving barely behind us, I took some time to go through my pictures from the past year and to remember all for that I am thankful.

Turnips were a tremendous success, and a vegetable that continues to provide extra flavor to our potatoes and stews. 

Horseradish which I bought at the NH Herb and Garden Day in June. I am looking forward to harvesting it next year to add some zest to sauces and spreads.
 
Asparagus which thrived this summer instead of succumbing to asparagus beetles. Perhaps this ladybug helped. 

New beginnings as  life starts over each spring.
 



Kale with its endless list of nutritional benefits.  

Fiddleheads that that will turn into lush ferns. 

Understanding that all life is to be valued and respected as each part of nature has a purpose to be fulfilled.



Lily-of-the-Valley, which is my birth flower and a sure sign that winter is over and spring is underway. 

When I look outside now, the trees are bare and the ground awaits in anticipation for the first significant snowfall which will be used as a blanket, protecting what lies underneath, until the sun and warmer days signal it is time to give birth again.