Evergreen

Evergreen

The Vermont rural winter landscape is often a subdued array of hues of blacks and whites with little color to catch the eye. Walking down the driveway on a morning when clouds are low and dense and snow is falling thickly, I am struck by the softness of the scene that presents itself.  It is like being in the middle of an Impressionist painting, soft edges and colors, indistinct shapes, as if the snow is silence falling all around, no wind, no creaking trees, just the hush of snow on snow and the sense that the world is far away.  The only color to see at this moment is the deep green of firs and pines, a dark green not even found in the crayon box and showing itself inconsistently as light and movement reveal infinite shades of green.

The big spruce next to the house is a perfect example of the blessings that evergreens give our landscapes. Almost as wide as it is tall, this tree is a visual feast of color and life. It contrasts with the lighter green of the feathery white pines behind it with its absolutely color-drenched green-black boughs, softened by the load of snow it carries today. On a brighter day, it shares its brown cones and even some yellowed tips, but on this snow filled morning, it looms dark, green and eternal. 

No wonder evergreens have been adopted as a symbol of life, both in pagan and faith-based communities. This tree with its persistent dark branches offers shelter and safety to the winter birds and squirrels. Flocks of doves and chickadees fly in and out with impunity. When I get too near this tree, it is prickly and difficult, but not for the birds who amuse us through the winter.  Summer birds prefer to nest in the lilacs or apple trees, but those winter inhabitants know that the dark evergreen is safe. Green is mentioned in the Quran as the color of carpets and cushions in Paradise. In Christian liturgy, it is the color of Ordinary Time, after Christmas but before Lent, then after Lent and before Advent. In Hebrew, the word “green”  and “young” is the same, reflecting the ideas of rebirth and renewal that is associated with the color.  Amen.

So I notice and like my evergreen in the winter. In the summer it will not stand out as the rest of the landscape will be revived, but in the subtlety of the winter world, it is most beautiful.