Emotionally surviving and thriving this last winter was more difficult, in some ways, and easier in others. I typically fight off depression during the winter months when I am unable to get enough sunshine to prevent my mood and outlook from spiraling into darkness.
The Lizard landed a new job last autumn, and he works almost every weekend now. Which means I was on my own during the weekends. I did a lot of quilting, and that helped. I tried to get outside as much as I could both at work and on weekends. And as always, I tried to enjoy what time I did have with my beloved husband.
One of the tools I used this time around came in the form of a bag of hyacinth bulbs.
These blue babies helped me beat the winter blues by painting my inside world the most beautiful hues during the darkest times of the year. I "planted" at least three each month in water vases I saved from past birthdays when my sweetheart gave me flowering bulbs as gifts. We keep blankets over the heat-leaking windows during the coldest weeks, so we use two daylight lamps to provide "sunshine" for my indoor garden.
All winter long, I had at least three flowers blooming!
I tried the bulbs-in-water experiment with grape hyacinths and daffodils, too. The grape hyacinth in soil mostly are showing greenery; the one I tried in the water vase disintegrated, I suppose feeding the hyacinth and daffodil along side it. The daffodils haven't bloomed yet, but they haven't died, either.
In addition, I had four patio pots still blooming when the first freeze hit. I brought them inside, not knowing if they would keep going or even survive.
I was delightedly surprised to experience yet another winter of larkspur, cosmos, grape hyacinth, amaryllis, Christmas cacti and, for the first time, love in a mist and campanula! Yes, after a few weeks of dormancy, the love in a mist and bellflowers began blooming again! The daffodils have been stubborn, but they are finally coming along.
I'll be dreaming of another Blue Winter come September!
The crappy weather sure can play with ones mind. Goes to show what you can do with a little determination and a green thumb. Ick to working almost all weekends though, but a job is a job these days.
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