Winterberry, 49

Every time I mention the advent of winter, which typically occurs when I've discovered one of the natural signs of the impending season, I raise cries of anguish and despair among people who really aren't looking forward to the New England inevitable. This year, what with my wrists and shoulders still hobbled by Lyme arthritis, I have to admit to a certain amount of anxiety—my wood pile is currently way too meager and I'm not sure I'll be up to shoveling when the snow finally flies—but I'm hopeful that, soon enough, all the, as we say in the Old Country, tsouris will pass, and I'll be fully functional again. The first sighting of a thicket of Winterberry Holly bushes certainly reminded me that the cold season is creeping steadily towards us. Unlike the garden hollies, which are evergreen, the Winterberry's one of the members of the Ilex clan that sheds its leaves every year. In so doing, it reveals a crop of vivid berries that will sustain a host of wintering birds. Ilex verticillata's a bright reminder of challenges—and delights—to come. I'd better order some wood... just in case.