Gloom.

I suspect the threat of a South Florida freeze has passed. But this weather, this weather. It's gloomy and putting me in no mood to buy plants for the garden just yet.

And I like gloom.

I embrace gloom.

I have gargoyles in my butterfly garden. I buy red roses for my house on Poe's birthday. I read his poetry every October to honor his death day.

I make road trips to old houses, I visit cemeteries on vacation, and this weekend, I'm driving three hours to see The Woman in Black in the perfect company of a woman once described as "more goth than most goths."

So why is it I need sun to put me in the mood to garden? It's actually better to garden on a gloomy day. It's cooler and there's a chance for rain to water the newly planted.  It's just that...on gloomy days...there aren't any buuutttttterfliiiiiies (read that as whiny as you possibly can.) When I finally bring home some fresh old-fashioned pentas and milkweed, a cassia, a maypop, and a flame-vine, I want bflies to descend immediately like they did on sunny days past that I brought home new plants. That's enough to brighten even the gloomiest day.