If you're a plant lover and live in a cold climate, there's nothing trivial about the issue of how to survive winter -- psychologically, that is. We landscaping enthusiasts are not like other people. Looking forward to the Super Bowl may placate some folks until spring returns, but not us. We feel a sense of utter deprivation, because the snow, the cold and the darkness have robbed us of much that we enjoy about our yards. So we have to figure out how to survive winter -- we have to discover coping mechanisms that will work for us, given our own unique interests.

Asked about how to survive winter, some might suggest winter sports. Others, content to stay indoors and hibernate, might tout hobbies that can be enjoyed in the comfort of a warm house. Personally, I need to get outdoors, yet I'm not especially interested in winter sports. So what's my coping mechanism for surviving winter?

I make it a point to get out every day for a walk around the neighborhood, no matter how cold it is. Sunset is one of my favorite walking times. The winter sunsets I'm accustomed to have an interesting metallic quality to them: swaths of gold spread across a steely blue backdrop.

I get my "plant fix" by observing the trees silhouetted against such sunsets. There are lots of maples in my neighborhood, and their autumn glory is, of course, just a distant memory in winter. Still, there's something artistic about their very starkness. Stripped of all foliar finery, their interesting branching patterns are more readily discernible. If you concentrate on appreciating such elements of the winter landscape, a veritable Ansel Adams gallery awaits you at every turn.

How about you other plant lovers out there? Have any tips on how to survive winter? Please leave a comment below.