Color Your World

January 24: Cerise tinged Hellebore buds

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There was a time, not so long ago, when Tuesdays found me visiting Jennifer’s “One Word Photo Challenge,” and scrambling to find or create photos to fit her chosen color of the week.  For a very long time, Jennifer’s word of the week described a color. And what wonderful words she chose!  ‘Shamrock,‘ ‘Eigengrau,‘ ‘Teal,’ and ‘Saffron.’ 

It was always an interesting challenge to find the photos, and often it evolved into an afternoon drive as we set out in search of the week’s color.

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January 25, Cerulean blue sky behind our mistletoe laden tree limbs

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  In addition to Jenny’s rules, I tried to always use current photos and also remain true to my ‘Forest Garden’ themes.  But sometime last year, when Jenny moved from color in her photo challenges to weather, I drifted away.

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January 26: Chestnut bark of our Crepe Myrtles glows against the snow.

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And so last night, when I stumbled across Cee’s blog featuring “Cerulean,” I was quite happy to click back and discover Jenny’s new “Color My World: One Hundred Days of Crayola” photo challenge.

Now Jenny offers a new color challenge each day for 120 days, beginning January 1.  Although we are already 26 days into the challenge, I am happy to tag along once again, and hope you will visit Jenny and explore links to other photographers participating in this Color Your World challenge.

But I will switch things up a bit and clock in only on Tuesdays, with current photos featuring as many of the week’s colors as I’m able.  I’m featuring Jenny’s challenge  colors from January 24: ‘Cerise’ through January 30: ‘Dandelion‘ in today’s post.

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January 27: Copper colored leaves and catkins nearly hide an owl, sheltering from heavy snowfall at the edge of our ravine.  This owl, and its mate, often appear here in the trees, keeping watch on our comings and goings.

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I have always enjoyed Jenny’s color challenges because they guide me in focusing on the changing color palette of the garden, as the seasons progress.

While our garden sleeps under its snow cover this week, we find breathtaking shades of blue in the sky; wondrous ever-greens in the shrubs, ferns and other perennials; every shade of grey and brown in the woody stems of our trees; and other interesting neutral shades in our hardscaping.  These are the colors which fade into the background during much of the year.  But we see them clearly now.

Although January remains a quiet time of year, color wise, we’re only a breath away from late winter’s flowers and the bright buds of early spring.

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January 28 Cornflower blue fills the sky behind bare tree limbs

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Color always tickles our emotions.  Whether we feel sheer delight in a bunch of crimson roses or relax peacefully in a shady green garden, the colors surrounding us also color our moods.

Our clear blue skies, present since the snow  crept away early Sunday morning, fill me with energy and optimism.  I look out across our snowy garden and feel gratitude for every green leaf, shining in the afternoon sun.

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January 29 Cotton candy describes these lovely Camellias, blooming in late December before snow found our garden.

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What a pleasure to notice the range of colors living in our garden, even in the midst of winter.  I am happy to take part in this new color challenge; and through it; celebrate our journey through winter and into spring 2016. 

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January 30 Dandelion yellow perfectly describes the bright stamens at the heart of a Hellebore

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Woodland Gnome 2016

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Shadows also bring color to a snowy January day. Rabbits left their footprints here in the snow.

About woodlandgnome

Lifelong teacher and gardener.

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