Back to the Garden: The Beauty of a Garden in Winter

By James Daw

When we think of a garden’s beauty, our minds naturally turn to the promise of spring, the exuberance of summer flowers, and the harvest of fall. It’s easy, however, to overlook the quiet beauty that gardens offer in winter.

As I write this at my desk, I can look out the window at an apple tree that once again produced a generous crop of fruit. Now bare, except for a few remaining apples left for an enterprising bird or squirrel, its branches stand in sharp relief against a bright blue winter sky—beautiful in a stark, understated way.

That winter scene often reminds me of one of my favorite places: the formal gardens at The Cloisters Museum in Manhattan. In summer, the walled garden overflows with flowers, shrubs, and trees. The herb garden is lush and fragrant, and espaliered fruit trees begin to bear fruit after flowering.

In December, all of that greenery disappears, yet what remains is striking in its own way. The garden courtyard grows quiet, as few visitors venture into the unheated stone walkways or face the stiff breezes off the Hudson River. On a weekday, you may find the space nearly empty—a place where it’s easy to wander and lose yourself in thought, much as monks and nuns once did when the Cloisters stood in France or Spain.

Quiet spaces are increasingly rare and should be cherished as a refuge from the relentless pace of 21st-century life. If you haven’t visited The Cloisters in winter, I would strongly encourage you to do so.