Vibrant Hues Framed by the Absence of Color

This year's Pantone "color of the year" has been on my mind lately. It's "Cloud Dancer," or ... white. As many folks have noted, white is actually the absence of color and it seems like a funny choice. With that said, white makes all colors near it "pop." Of course, that's obvious, and I've posted about it in the past. But it's been a couple of years since we've had a consistently "white" landscape here in winter.

Fresh snow makes every color around it appear more vibrant!

Japanese Yew (Taxus Cuspidata)

The greens and reds of conifers stand out in the winter landscape, although that happens even without snow and blue sky.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Red-Twig Dogwoods are much more dramatic after a fresh snow.

White Oak (Quercus alba)

But even the warm, rusty colors of Oak leaves are brighter and more eye-catching framed with white.

Spent Aster seedheads

Empty Aster seedheads sparkle like bright and cheerful stars.

Dried grasses

Dried grasses and sedges, barely noticeable without snow, are so colorful blanketed in white!

Mixed shrub stems

Even multihued shades of brown stems are much more warm and rich with color when surrounded by "Cloud Dancer."

Maybe this was a goal for this "color of the year" selection—to highlight all the true colors? Regardless, I appreciate the role of white in nature's palette!

With that, I wish you a very Happy New Year! Vist Garden Ruminations for more "Six on Saturday" entries.

(Most observations were recorded at local parks and natural areas.)

The Butterflies of 2025

Northern Crescent

A highlight of 2025 (as with many years) was observing and photographing butterflies. Even a short span of time tracking and counting the various species is fun, cathartic, and physically and mentally refreshing and healthful. The butterflies (and one moth) included here are among many I saw and reported to wisconsinbutterfies.org this past year. They're included in roughly the order I observed them—from spring through fall.

I'll keep the words short and let the fascinating winged creatures speak for themselves:

Coral Hairstreak

Common Wood-Nymph

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Baltimore Checkerspot

Bronze Copper

Luna Moth

Gray Comma

Eastern Tailed-Blue

'Summer' Spring Azure

Great Spangled Fritillary

Hackberry Emperor

Least Skipper

Monarch

Orange Sulphur

Black Swallowtail

Pearl Crescent

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Meadow Fritillary

Cabbage White

Viceroy

Cabbage White

Monarch

Clouded Sulphur

Red Admiral

Sachem

Monarch

All butterflies (and the Luna Moth) shown here were observed at local natural areas, botanical gardens, and on our property. Here's to another great year of beautiful and graceful inspiration!

Blessings to Friends Near and Far

Miscellaneous Pleasant Memories of 2025

Do you designate a folder or a notebook (online or physical) to save pleasant experiences you don't want to forget?

As a blogger, I often set aside photos that capture "magical" moments I'd like to remember. They're hard to put into words or fit into a blog post. I'm sharing a few here that remind me of special days and unique experiences during the past year.

I've placed them roughly in the order they occurred. The first six, including the top photo of the bumble bee exploring White Wild Indigo (Baptisia alba), greeted me on one of those partly cloudy, perfect days in mid-June. The final three are early October memories, when the garden, nature, and local harvests were full, colorful, and plentiful.

There are many more memories, of course, but these were specifically placed in my "Miscellaneous 2025" folder.

A stem of Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), about to pop and declare the joy of summer.

Blue Flag Iris, at peace within its marshy home. I believe this is Southern Blue Flag (I. virginica), because it displays more yellow on its sepals than Northern Blue Flag (I. versicolor). Both are native here.

A redwing blackbird nestled among the grasses and forbs of its favorite prairie.



Oxeye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), ready to burst in the warm sunlight.



The solid, yet graceful and fascinating structure of Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis).



Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), declaring the growing season extending a bit longer into autumn. Introduced here, this plant can be invasive in some settings. But it certainly is bright and cheery on a warm autumn day.

Locally grown apples (Malus varieties), crowned by a delicious apple cider donut.

And finally, a bright Zinnia bloom (Z. elegans 'State Fair Mix'), started from seed in the sunroom in late March and sparkling through October.

Do you have special memories of gardens and nature from the past year? Please share them!