Cure for the Winter Blues

I can't help it. Nearly every time I walk through the yard, I think, "Dead, dead, it's all dead, forever dead." Yes, it's a bit melodramatic, but I look at the wet, brown mess and find it impossible to believe that the beds were ever green and thick and studded with flowers. The winter browns have given me the winter blues.

A southern vacation might ease my depression, but that's prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, we live only half an hour from a tropical destination - Krohn's Conservatory. Best of all, it's free.

I can only begin to describe the relief I felt as we transitioned from the cold, dry December day to the greenhouse's warm, humid environment. The muscles in my neck relaxed and the wrinkles on my forehead eased. The smell of green growing things made me giddy. Even the holiday hordes could only mildly annoy me.

We wandered through the rainforest, the seasonal, Bavarian display, the desert, the orchids, the bonsai, and the tropical house in less than half an hour. Mike did his best to stave off boredom, but I could tell he could barely tolerate my slow shuffle and need to touch nearly every plant we passed. When we reached the last room, the tropical house, I desperately wanted to prolong the experience. My shuffle slowed even further and I twice insisted we sit on benches to absorb the ambience. Despite my delay tactics, our tour eventually ended.

I might have been sad to leave the paradise, but Mike comforted me at the gift shop by buying me a lovely cyclamen and a thrill-o-rama chistmas jelly pop. Slowly nibbling appendages off my frosted, jelly reindeer eased the pain of reentering the bright sunshine and crisp air of a pre-Christmas afternoon.

I find it easier to face winter's deathlike slumber knowing that I can escape to a bit of summer when things get too bad. Next time, though, I'll leave Mike behind and take a book. I need to sit on a bench in the rainforest and absorb all that lush, growing life through my pores. Surrounded by greenery, it's a bit easier to believe that the rest of the city will be as hot, steamy, and fecund in only half a year.

More photos from our Krohn's conservatory visit.