Predawn

We all know that sunlight changes across a landscape throughout the day and over the seasons, but there's something exceptional about the light of predawn.

If you’re an early riser like me, you already know about this special time. The air feels softer, sounds are muted, and everything smells fresh and clean. Unless it’s fire season, of course. But even then, the smokiness adds depth to the predawn air.

Before the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a few minutes in the garden can do wonders for your morale. Just grab a cup of coffee or tea and slowly walk through your garden. You’ll be surprised at how much you see when there aren’t as many distractions pulling at your attention. You may want to bring a small notepad with you.

In the predawn quiet, you can still see everything, but the air is cool and the world is quiet. You may be surprised to notice slugs and snails in a raised strawberry patch that you thought they didn’t know about. You may finally see how birds are getting into your tree cage to poke holes in your apricots.

Of course, you may also be treated with rare delights, such as finches and wrens snagging bits of sunflower leaf, hummingbirds catching gnats over a birdbath, or a singing thrush. Most of these sights and sounds are lost on us during the day, behind traffic, work, and family.

Even if you’re not an early riser, give yourself a treat some morning and get up before the sun crosses the horizon. You’ll be amazed at what you see and hear. And you may find that the magic of an early morning in the garden stays with you throughout the day.