I was inspired by Joan's story of her indoor Santa Fe garden to share my own coping mechanism for managing what is often the longest month for gardeners--February!
To bide my time until crocuses come up, I created a corner refuge in a southwest-facing room in our house. No special watering or care of this oasis--all the plants are drought -tolerant and happily thrive in spite of a certain degree of neglect. Large, double-paned windows with LoE 366 glass seem to keep the room a very steady temperature and provide just the right amount of light, even with the thermostat set at 50 degrees.
Geraniums (pelargonium), orchids, sansevieria, ficus and a pot of strongly scented, drought-loving herbs (parsley, rosemary, and thyme) create a gardener's sanctuary while I wait for the first evidence of spring outdoors. A silly shag rug that mimics a lawn, and an equally silly family of ceramic snails complete the ruse. Yes, I can live until spring if I can relax for a few minutes a day in this indoor "virtual garden" scape.
Karen Curl
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