Evergreen

There are many evergreen plants and trees in the Shire;

that's one reason it is pleasant to live here.

These strawberry plants next to the foundation of my house

stay green over the winter.

There is boxwood, of course.

It has the most delightful scent, one unlike any other.

This plant is very small,

so I often brush my fingers against it to release its fragrance.

Large boxwood plants scent the air around them

without first being touched.

These are Japanese painted ferns.

They are supposed to turn orange and red in the autumn,

but without sun, they stay a light yellow-green.

And variegated vinca is unphased by winter's cold.

And of course, wax myrtle.

It grows at the edge of the woods where the sunlight makes it lush.

Some grows in the woods behind my house, but

the shade is too heavy, so it stays rather wispy.

This is in full sun across the way, near a small lake.

When the cold winter wind blows as it has the last couple of days,

it's nice to look out the window and see

so many lush green plants amidst the bare trees and brown grass.

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