Winter solstice and winterberries

I like celebrating the winter solstice, our shortest day of the year, on December 21st. I’m glad to think of the increased daylight that leads us toward spring and another growing season. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the brilliant red berries of our winterberry shrubs.

Winterberry shrubs with bright red berries
Winterberries (Ilex verticillata)

This poem by Diane Lee Moomey expresses my sentiments.

SOLSTICE

Again did the earth shift.
Again did the nights grow short
and the days long.

And the people
of the earth were glad
and celebrated each in their own ways.

Best wishes to all for the season and the coming year.

12 thoughts on “Winter solstice and winterberries”

  1. Gorgeous; love the brilliant red color. And I’m so happy to see the poem for Winter Solstice. Thanks so much Betty!
    Lorraine

  2. So nice to have such brilliant color at this time of the year. And I love the December solstice, too. The days are getting longer!

    1. Well, Keli, the color was brilliant on the winter solstice. However, on the 24th a wave of robins and starlings appeared and within a matter of hours the berries were all gone! I will miss them. However, knowing the days are getting longer helps counteract the loss.

  3. Hi Betty,

    Did you know I printed a broadside of “Solstice”?
    So glad to see you love it too.
    Long time, no see. ~Deborah

    1. Yes, Deborah, I treasure my copy of your broadside and am grateful to you for introducing me to “Solstice”. Good to hear from you. Let’s go for a walk!

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