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The Winter Garden

“The earth laughs in flowers.” When I read this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson on a tea bag, it motivated me to capture some of the beauty in my garden right now. One of the benefits of living in Southern California is we have more time each year to enjoy the earth laughing.


I am always surprised each winter to see the succulents bloom. In particular, one I planted this summer has a gorgeous pink blossom.

flower 1 pink

Another delight is my poinsettia bush. All year long it is a barren stick of a plant that the birds use as a perch. But as soon as December rolls around, the buds burst open and reveal their signature red bracts. Yes, a new word for me too: a bract is a modified leaf. The poinsettia flower is actually the small yellow part of the plant.

flower 4 poinsettia

Speaking of yellow, I couldn’t resist taking a shot of this rose which is one of the few still showing off this time of the year.

flower 3 yellow rose

Lastly, my second crop of tomatoes is going strong, and I’m hoping not to have to buy any tomatoes from the store for a few more months. Although the tomato plant is not beautiful to look at, it sure makes it up in taste.

flower 2 tomato

For closeups of any photo, just click on it to enlarge.