After our strange tropical Christmas (wearing shorts to open presents?), I am rejoicing at the arrival of normal winter weather. It wouldn’t be January without freezing winds and bright sunshine. I also associate the beginning of the year with the blooming of paperwhites (narcisissus papyraceus). These delicate white flowers belong to the daffodil family, and the easy-to-grow bulbs are sold everywhere during the month of December. I usually pick up a few to get started in my studio so they’ll be ready to shine in the winter sun. January is my pull-in month, when I work on my ideas for new work and begin new projects. Breakfast in my studio with cheerful paperwhites helps set me up for the day. They won’t last more than a few weeks, but then the begonias will start blooming, followed by the showy orange clivias. I depend on my indoor garden to get me through the winter!