Through my kitchen window the Dwarf Papyrus, growing in a large pot and glowing with the warmth of the late afternoon sun, catches my attention.
It is a grass-like reed plant native to Africa. The giant ancestors of this hybrid Dwarf Papyrus were used to make the first writing paper in ancient Egypt.
The one catching my attention now looks so glorious as summer ends. It will not survive our winter here in Virginia. It would have to be brought inside to stay alive. I am not a year-round gardener, so this Papyrus life will end.
In my garden behind this Dwarf Papyrus grows the white Beautyberry bush. The long arching delicate limbs drape downward, carrying the weight of all its berries.
It will survive the winter in Virginia. Throughout the fall and winter the berries will slowly disappear as the cardinal couple that lives nearby will perch precariously as they try hard to balance their bodies long enough to snatch the berries.
Come spring the barren limbs should be pruned. New fresh growth will slowly emerge. A new season full of promise will begin.
movingforwardslowly 