tiny kingdoms

The days are damp and darkening and I've been feeling a little damp and darkening myself lately, so I went out in the garden with a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning. 

I discovered that even though the leaves are mostly off the trees, the garden is much livelier than I thought it was!

The spotty gravel was shot through with patches of moss and tiny grasses.

Little clumps of weed and ivy covered the ground and crept up tree trunks.

A landscape I've seen hundreds of times kept offering me more surprises.

More magic came to light with a macro lens. Each moss patch became a whole new garden on its own.

It was a wet autumn, and with the leaves gone the moss was well watered and nourished.

Little dioramas sprang up everywhere, making a tiny Japanese garden everywhere I pointed the camera.

It comforted and relaxed me to look at the plants thriving in their overlooked little spaces.

So I was only too happy to go back into the warmth of the house and have a drink of water myself. 

We hope everyone stays warm and safe this winter!