And a time to every purpose under heaven...

What is creativity in the context of making a garden?

February was the beginning of the gardener's year, the start of the seasons that take us through all the variations that the climate can throw at us in a bumpy arc through to the end of next winter. At this point most of the garden life seems to be dormant. The earth is solidly brown with punctuations of stalks from the existing herbaceous plants; the branches of the shrubs and climbers are bare and straggly; snow has recently melted and left soggy patches on the rather dated concrete pavings.

a hint of buds

But of course, not all things are dead. The earth is pierced by the shoots of bulbs; the many insects that keep the soil healthy are working, but working slowly; the bare branches are showing signs of new buds; birds visit in hope of food and potential nesting places. Creation in the grander sense is "working its purpose out".