A Winter’s Tale

A dear friend recently reminded me of the importance of rest. I didn’t have to look far to see this wisdom expressed in my garden. It’s winter in the Southern Hemisphere, but here on the border of New South Wales and Queensland on the eastern seaboard of Australia, the climate is sub-tropical, which means winters are generally mild in comparison to the southern states.

Even so, gardens here can be relatively dormant, resting, recuperating ready for the spring. My garden has a number of gaps as a result since some deciduous plants have gone to ground for a well-earned rest.  This morning I pruned, cutting gingers and heliconias back to the ground ensuring that when they begin their spring growth it will be dense and lush with plenty of blooms.

Other plants, like some of the hardy bromeliads, are at their best now. The variety of bromeliads available these days means I never have to be without one doing its most ‘magnificence thing’. But those that are displaying now, will rest while others take over.

But back to pondering the importance of rest. Taking the beauty of nature as an example, I realise how essential rest is to producing splendid magnificence, whether in plants or animals, including us.

With that in mind, I think I’ll go lie on the lounge and maximise my dormant magnificence