Frozen Bliss

I awoke this morning to silence. I found my way into my warm clothes, boots, hat, coat and mittens quickly. With camera around my neck and garden dog at my side we headed outside to investigate.

It seems while I had spent two days hiding away with a mean stomach bug, my little world outside had been transformed into winter. A blanket of snow covered the garden and I smiled knowing that my garden friends were tucked in while the temperature hovered around 20 degrees.

Apparently it snowed a few inches followed by a light rain or mix because the snow was so crusty that Annie and I could glide along (yes, it was slippery too) without leaving a trace of where we had been. We traversed around the garden snapping photos of interesting sites.

The branches, berries, plumes and seed heads were lightly covered in ice which shimmered and twinkled as the sun came into the garden. A friend of mine (Sue) has always said that a coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins on any wall and I feel it is the same with a blanket of snow on the garden.

The best part of our snow was the silence; again I was struck by the quietness of the world. No cars hurrying by, no dogs barking (I guess everyone put them in since it was cold), no far away interstate noise…only an occasional cracking of the icy crust beneath my feet, a bird alerting her partner there was indeed a few seeds left in the feeder and the click of my camera lens.

When we decided to head back in we (okay, I) grabbed some wood for the stove and went in as quietly as possible. After feeding the stove it morning quota the dog and I made tea and toast (since it was a special occasion garden dog got a couple of cheez-its).

As I glanced out at the bird feeder I saw the tulips on the table that Jodie had brought me a couple of days earlier. While I was out of commission the tulips had gone from bud to beautiful yellow blooms. I looked out at the snow and back at the tulips…winter with the promise of spring, what a grand way to start the day!

The Garden in Winter

Our first snow started falling late in the day covering the earth in a fluffy white blanket. The reflection of the nearly full moon woke me up during the night and I could scarcely wait until dawn to get outside and have a look at the garden.

Annie and I headed outdoors early and the first thing to hit us was the silence. Snow makes everything so quiet. The silence was soon broken with a horrible crunching racket as my neighbor headed out the driveway to work. It was then I realized there was a layer of ice just under the snow.

Dog and cracked pot with camera in hand slowly made the rounds admiring the beauty of white crested magnolia leaves and ice encrusted berries. Snow makes everything clean and fresh, even the wheelbarrow full of old perennial cuttings pointing towards the fire pit with good intentions looked picturesque.

Hemlock branches were heavy laden and looked like a winter scene right out of “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Red and Yellow Twig Dogwoods seemed happy to show off their new winter coat that sparkled when the sun came up.

The plants on the living roof were tucked in and cozy under their blanket. Too bad they can’t settle in for a long winters nap. Although they face the north I believe the predicted 40 degree high would soon uncover them.

Birds sang happily as they darted to and fro snatching a quick sunflower seed from the feeder then dashing it against a nearby branch. The cardinals really showed out against the white background.

There is nothing like the beauty of a garden in winter especially with the addition of a little snow. Annie kept licking the snow like she had never seen it before. Being a transplant from the north I sometimes forget how wonderful a little snow can be. A “mini winter” now and then can be a good thing…a time to slow down, reflect and be ever so grateful when the sun comes out it melts away!