Porch Journal: Moody Winter Garden
Winter inspiration from the garden at Juniper Hill Cottage
Hello my lovely readers, come on in.
Welcome to the ‘Porch Journal’, a short-letter series where I share small reflections and behind-the-scenes thoughts on living a smaller, simpler, more beautiful life. These are quick, easy reads, about a minute or two - just enough for a mid-morning coffee break.
In today’s Porch Journal I’ve got a few glimpses from the garden here at Juniper Hill Cottage - a 1924 craftsman bungalow located in the high-country of Northern Arizona.
It’s winter, but it’s beautiful.
The Shenandoah grasses all tucked in for winter - I gave them a little ‘bun treatment’ to help them ride out the cold months ahead. Practical? Yes. Slightly silly? Also yes.
But it's reminiscent of hay stacks and I love how they look in this winter light.
I almost deleted this shot because the wind added just enough motion to soften the focus — but in the end, I decided I liked that sense of movement.
Moonlit Shenandoah grasses, tied and waiting through winter. My little ‘grass bonnets’ on the corner of the front garden.
As a bonus, there’s a partial view of Thumb Butte on the horizon. You’ll see it often if you spend time here. It’s a couple of miles away and rises nearly 1,000 feet in a short distance. It’s a steady presence of many evening porch views at Juniper Hill Cottage.
A few days later, we had a light dusting of snow as darkness was settling in. I couldn’t resist stepping outside to capture the small snowballs caught in the grass tufts.
Ravens riding the winter air above the house. Love their chatter - not sure if you can hear them, but they’re always part of the soundscape here.
These grasses are especially striking in late fall, when the plumes puff into soft, pinkish-auburn clouds.
They’re delicate and tricky to photograph, but with the sun behind them they seem to glow.
I love using tall grasses like these in a landscape - the movement and vertical lines bring such a beautiful contrast.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some close looks at my hellebores — the true drama queens of the winter garden - in my daily Notes on Substack. I’d love to have you join me over there.
And if you’re a fellow plant lover, I also share a Garden Keeping Journal on the first Saturday of each month. The February edition goes out tomorrow to all subscribers.
I enjoy sharing these in-between moments - bits of life., and our spaces that shape it. Let me know what you think.
Thank you for spending a little porch time with me today!
With contentment & possibility,
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Lovely shares Miriam! I have been to Prescott when it's cold and I know it snows there but have never seen it first-hand. I guess when it's a novelty rather than the norm it can feel a lot more special.