This morning we got a dusting of snow, and I looked out in my new yard (we recently moved to a newly constructed home with no landscaping) and realized how boring it is without any kind of hardscaping. My old gardens had lots of things like birdbaths, feeders, pots, rock walls, arbors, and trellises. You don't really notice them much in spring, summer and fall. They're just kind of in the background and provide interest, but don't stand out. But in winter, when all the plants have died, and everything is brown and flat, you notice the texture, height, color and depth. When you get up in the morning and there's a hard frost, everything shimmers. Snow collects on things and provides interesting lines. When it's icy, the icicles hanging from items are so beautiful. I have a new appreciation for those things, that I always took for granted, now that they're gone.
