Green Mountain Gardener

I have been inspired by many of you this year to begin a color journal, and I thought it appropriate to begin with my favorite color… green.  It is not a primary color, but one which evolves from the mixing of yellow and blue.  On the color wheel the complementary color to green is red.  Many creatures including frogs, lizards, insects, fish, and birds appear green because of a mixture of layers of blue and green in their skin.  And, many creatures have adapted to their green environment by taking on a green hue which acts as camouflage.  By far the largest contributor to green in nature is chlorophyll, the chemical by which plants photosynthesize.  The color green is used worldwide to represent safety.  In Japan, it is regarded as the color of eternal life.  And, green is the color of Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. Green ribbons have been used by a range of environmental groups to symbolize organ donation and transplant, solidarity with Chechnya, and support of farmers in America.  And, we cannot help but love the muppet who uses green as his signature color, Kermit the Frog. Green evokes compassion, nurturance, fertility, rebirth, renewal, acceptance, growth, gratefulness, restoration, and meditation.  It also makes us think about being kind to the environment.  I am definitely feeling grateful for the color green this winter, as I am missing the lazy swaying of green leaves and the rhythmic movement of green grass.  As I was browsing through my photographs, I was happy to find that there is definitely no shortage of green going on here.

Shades of green dominate the scene during a visit to the greenhouses of the Montreal Botanical Garden:

Today we celebrate the birthday of the great Johnny Cash, what would have been his 78th.  See him here, as he sings “40 Shades of Green.”