Garden Magic

Yesterday, the morning warmed slowly and slightly under the Winter sun. We unravelled the tangles of fairy lights to twist around the porch posts, stuck the new floodlights in the earth now invisible under the fallen leaves, then stood back in a biting wind and said, "that's it, all done". Later, at dusk, when woodsmoke perfumed the air, and the smell of Christmas wafted on the night breeze, we threw the switch. The cottage, bathed in light, sparkled in the night. The untwisting, untangling, winding with cold fingers, bantering and even arguing a little, suddenly forgotten as we felt the joy of this season.

Christmas tree in the gazebo ~ now an annual part of garden magic.

At night the view is lovely from the house.

Ornaments are simple but special ~ a garden theme.

As these days leading up to Christmas rush by, stop to enjoy

the simple pleasures, and always BELIEVE.

"O, Christmas Tree - where are you?"

We've been waiting for a while now - a bunch of angels and cherubs expecting to see a Christmas tree appear.

We're getting a little bored passing the time reading your decorating books.......................

.......................hanging about up here in the heavens playing music on ancient instruments

......................playing guardian angel over the potpourri

..........................keeping the peace with the doves


.............................and taking long naps on the hard dining room table.

Oh, we see it now. Our Christmas tree is in the gazebo!

The perfect solution to that question we all have when our nest is a small cottage - where on earth to put the tree? Many years we squeezed a narrow fresh Fraser Fir into the corner of the dining room but, since the gazebo graced our back deck, we've put a tree out there. We enjoy seeing it from the windows of several rooms........and sharing it with our neighbors.

With the door closed, and as it's screened, the birds, squirrels, raccoons, possums, foxes, cats and whatever else comes through the night garden, cannot bother the tree. I only use my natural looking ornaments out here to blend with the garden - the more precious glass and delicate things which might be damaged by damp are saved for indoors.
We'll enjoy it this year - perhaps next we'll decide to bring a tree inside again - have a lot more beautiful ornaments just longing to come out of storage!