Tenacity

January 9, 2014 Photo (009/365): "Tenacity"

As predicted in the Farmer's Almanac, the winter of 2013-2014 has already been brutal. Yet even after weeks of snow and sub-zero temperatures, this sprig of lavender in my garden remains silvery green and wonderfully fragrant! Lavender is indigenous to warmer climates and doesn't thrive in Wisconsin, but I planted this perennial because it reminds me of the glorious color and perfume of the lavender fields in the South of France. My plant never seems to sprout many flowers (last year, I had only one stalk), but it has endured our harsh winter, pushing bravely through the icy snow. And although, it will probably never produce enough blossoms to fill a sachet or to make the lavender ice cream that I crave, this tiny sprig of lavender is a model of tenacity and hope that spring will eventually arrive.

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" - Ode to the West Wind (Percy Bysshe Shelley)