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Celebration of Life at Winter Garden

Garden designers use this quiet time to consider how plants can teach us to grow into our best  selves.

The older you get, the more difficult it becomes to slow down. The forward motion of everything is relentless, and the force on my back grows stronger every year. Watching my daughter grow up, watching my parents turn 80, or even watching the plants come and go in my garden seems impossible to celebrate impermanence and the joyful purpose of rest and renewal. The vibrant vitality of the summer garden, the guiding metaphor of my life, would be less felt if it were not for the quiet months of rest and reflection. Sometimes we just have to stand still and listen.

When you get down to the refined part of being alive, you find little metaphors in everything. It is like a distant candle in a midnight snowstorm. These metaphors can easily cut through the darkness and remind us of ourselves.

Hoarfrost on dwarf blue indigo pods is a good example. These soft shells, puffed up like
marshmallows roasted over a campfire, contain seeds that require several years of warm and cold weather to best germinate. Although protected from the winter, they are valuable winter cargo, storing large amounts of food and energy for the days when their ships are full. After winter, the dead top growth falls off and the entire plant rolls around like a tumbleweed, dropping offspring along the way.

Everything is connected in ways we cannot see, but we know and believe. I know it better when I sit in the garden on a cold morning, with thick fog or light snow covering me, letting go of my worries, doubts and fears and letting my mind wander into a quiet harbor.

My life is rooted in the same way as a plant. My story impacts the stories of others, and together we build resilience to harsh weather, disease, and a changing climate beyond our control.

This may be the fibrous roots of side oats grama’s that hold the soil in place, or the roots of cone flower and blazing stars that push deeper to alleviate the flowers’ hunger for nutrients. It might be same. White prairie clover provides another example of how it adds nitrogen to the soil, naturally fertilizing those around it. This reminds us that as we take care of each other, we are all taking care of ourselves.

There are many textures and nuances to leaving plants out for the winter. They provide numerous ecosystem services, from seeds and mulch for birds to reducing storm water runoff and helping snow insulate plants. It’s easy to believe that nothing happens and that the winter garden has no purpose. After all, we don’t want to go out and observe the cold weather every day, and more importantly, stay still and quiet like the rotting remains of our favorite flowers.

It’s not a graveyard. It is a life that requires essential rest. And if we don’t rest, if we don’t have the courage to look within and feel all the complex emotions we experience at different moments in our lives, we can’t grow and become more adaptable. And we certainly can’t help others do that.

Is it too much of a strain on your garden? I don’t think so. The garden is a story full of metaphors. As gardeners, we give our lives to these stories, being reconstructed within them. Plants and wildlife come and go. We bring ourselves into the space over art and drinks with friends.

These are rituals of the growing season. But if you sit on a garden bench in January, hugging your coat, scarf and wool hat and engaging in a daily ritual of stillness that reflects the monochromatic textures of brown and slate, you will discover a fulfilling life. It’s a deep breath worth the effort. A few months ago, you start putting your hands in the dirt and planting a new colony of plants in your home.

To take a break. Whatever life takes you, lean into it. And know that a season is just a season. This brings comfort in knowing that everything passes and that there is great power in growth even when it seems not to. So many plants are still strengthening their roots, preparing for spring, and storing energy to give back many times over. Everywhere we gardeners walk, we see resilience, like the wings of a cardinal in the snow or the heavy branches of a young elm tree.

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Experts in tree removal, stump  demolition, stump removal, tree trimming, tree mulching, tree pruning and emergency tree removal  in Buffalo, NY

Read our Reviews!!

Todd Wilhelm
Todd Wilhelm
2024-10-01
Had sod installed at my house in Amherst. Job done very quickly and well. Highly recommended. Will be using them again for spring 2025 project.
Md Mia
Md Mia
2024-09-27
RDK Tree Service removed a large maple by the power lines. It was definitely not a easy job. They did the job safely and did it rather quickly. I will definitely recommend them for your tree services.
Bike Lover
Bike Lover
2024-09-27
Residing in Buffalo NY, and needed to remove a large tree in the backyard and front yard. The crew did a fantastic job with removing it along with the stump. We are so impressed. Thank you RDK!
selvachandran saravanan
selvachandran saravanan
2024-09-25
Did a job here in my rental property in Amherst of removing two 60-70ft pine trees with stump removal and prepped an area for parking. RDK Landscaping is the one you should go to with your tree and landscaping/hardscaping needs. They are just the best overall!!
jackary Rootis
jackary Rootis
2024-09-24
I highly recommend them. Great crew, Super easy to work with. They’re doing a great job out here in East Amherst. Not only did I use them, but my neighbor and their son did as well and we couldn’t be happier.
DIANE Abram: Toot-Toot Daycare
DIANE Abram: Toot-Toot Daycare
2024-09-21
I hope these pictures speak for itself. I had called couple of companies to my property in Northampton, Buffalo, but only RDK Landscaping had come out so quick to give a quote for a project we started and couldn’t finish. They were so quick, efficient and had completed the project in about 2 days. They did a beautiful job, and answered all my questions throughout the entire process. I am so very thrilled about the results and could not recommend more! They are doing wonderful projects.
Dan Duggan
Dan Duggan
2024-09-19
RDK Landscaping did an amazing job! We had 8 dead ash trees at our property in Clarence that needed to be taken down given their proximity to the house and garage, in addition to two trees close to the power lines. I was very impressed with how quickly Roy and his team responded, came out to the property and got the job done. I would highly recommend them!
Andres Martinez
Andres Martinez
2024-09-14
Everybody at RDK Landscaping was a pleasure to deal with, we had a big project with them to clear up some really overgrown gardens beds around our garage, they went above and beyond making our space useable again. Once the project was complete they made sure to clean everything up and even cleared some weeds we had on our driveway that we hadn’t even mention to them. Can’t recommend them enough and will be calling them first for any future landscaping projects.
Esther Guess
Esther Guess
2024-09-12
The guys were quick and effective at getting all that ivy down. Great work!

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