Rosehip Alley

Late afternoon at Rosehip Alley (click to enlarge and see the details)

Years ago we made a little path through the dense and chaotic tangle of wild rose bushes on the southern edge of our property, so we could walk among the masses of delicately scented blooms that appear each June.

But I love “Rosehip Alley” in winter as well, especially in the low-angle light of late afternoon.

Perhaps part of its charm lies in the opposites of shape, texture and colour that I find in these thickets in winter. The canes are long, linear, stiff and dangerously thorny (although muted in their hues). By contrast, the hips are plump, round, smooth and inviting to the touch – and intensely red, bringing a welcome passion to what can sometimes feel like a drab winter landscape.