Maven Haven Gets A New Look

 Summer's beauty is, to me, best defined by the visual smorgasbord of color from every point in the spectrum. 

 Summer is showy and loud - straight to the point, needing no metaphors to describe her flamboyant self.

Ahhh, but Winter... Winter is rich in subtlety.  What Winter lacks in color, he makes up for in texture.   It's he who gives Mother Nature her much needed rest.  

After months of using her energy to conjure all manner of alluring growth, Nature takes a break from the active part of her reproductive cycle.  The showy, fragrant blossoms that once called to bird and bee, as well as to our souls, are no longer needed.  In their place lie seed heads of a multitude of textures, from light and fluffy to jagged and sticky.  These wintry leftovers hang waiting, in place, to be carried off by a brisk wind, or a wandering creature.  Once loosened from the skeletal grip of dried stalk, these seeds find their way to the soil.  It is here, deep in the earth, that Mother Nature lies waiting, resting, to work her magic once again in coming seasons.

Yesterday, after chores were finished, I went to work on an idea that had been percolating in my tiny brain for the past few days.  Passing by Maven Haven several times daily, and finding her looking drab in this season of rest - I decided she needed a winter pick-me-up.  And so, in celebration of the textures of Winter, I got busy giving her a new look.

I trimmed the overgrowth of grapevines from the vegetable garden fence. 

 It's a job that needs to be done every winter, but on this particular day, I decided to do it for reasons other than merely checking it off the winter to-do list.  I had an idea in mind to make a grapevine garland to decorate the front doorway of Maven Haven.

After cutting as many long vines as I could, I began wiring them together to make a long, thick rope of sorts.  By the time I finished, I had over 20 feet of grapevine garland.  It was obvious that I had more than I needed, but I knew I could rectify this at the time of hanging.  This way, I had lots of extra garland so that I could determine the best place for bending it to fit the doorway.

Once the garland was attached to the outside of the doorway (with screw-eyes and zip-ties), I set about to gather seed heads and spent blossoms from all over the farm.  I filled a much bucket with dried hydrangeas, seed heads from grasses, goldenrod, and black-eyed Susans, and several sprigs of fading, purple beauty berry. 

 I worked each of them into the grapevine wreath.

Then I used the leftovers to decorate the chair planter, 

window box,

 and cement rabbit planter.

I imagine that harsh winter weather will eventually take its toll on this garland, but until that time, I will enjoy its look, with an appreciation of the fact that the entire thing was free - courtesy of Winter!

This spring, I will be re-painting Maven Haven and can easily remove the garland for that project, and then place it back on the screw-eyes when the painting is complete.  

Perhaps next winter I will adorn it with more colorful, dried, blossoms from my cutting garden.  

For now, though, I think she looks quite welcoming!

Lastly... here is the spectrum of eggs from yesterday's gathering.  Of the dozen collected, one was behemoth (I pity the gal), and one quite underwhelming, but a perfectly round orb (someone is an underachiever).  On the right... the normal (extra large) size of our eggs.