The Garden, Unclothed

Sure, it's easy to post a picture of the garden in June, when everything's looking glorious. But what about January?

Yesterday I gave the front garden its annual haircut, shearing almost everything down to the ground. It's nothing but a bedraggled mess in this state. I like toleave last year's growth on for as long as possible, figuring that even dry brown stalks can look interesting. But sooner or later, it all has to go so the new growth can push its way through.

Here, then, is my garden in its "She calls herself a gardener?" state.