Outside, it’s cold and drab, cloaked in muted gray-greens and browns, with patches of old snow and ice dotting the landscape. But inside, there’s magic brewing on my winter windowsill.  Every day, there are little bursts of fireworks exploding in an array of colors and shapes in front of my eyes.

At first, the magic is subtle … a tightly closed bud; the curled edge of a petal as it slowly unfurls.

Then, the fireworks really begin, lighting up the winter days with sensual lines and lush light.

I’ve become something of an orchid collector — 11 plants so far — and this winter they are rewarding me by all blooming together.  Each day a new bloom pops open, and each plant blooms for several months, meaning there will be winter and early spring color indoors until the outdoor landscape starts to produce its own fireworks.

What brightens your winter windowsill?

–lucy