Winter

A fluffy snow arrived last night. The snow fell in thick clusters of flakes. The temperature was quite chilly. The result is trees and bushes with what appears to be a generous dusting of powder sugar coating everything. It reminds me of childhood and the wonder of waking up to a snow covered yard, hoping school would be canceled, but even if it was not how we marvelled at the trees and bushes.

A few weeks ago we had a heavy snow. It blanketed everything. While it was lovely, it did not stick to the trees in the same way as this fluffier snow adhered last night.

The yard has changed a lot since last year. Many of the photos would not have been possible at this same time at the beginning of 2020. The woodland garden in particular was not passable. We had not yet cleared the ground and constructed the paths.

The paths meander through the garden and are lined with logs accumulated over many years from storm toppled trees. They afford the visitor a casual stroll the garden and a level surface for me to push my wheelbarrow.

Clearing the woodland garden was a significant endeavor, which has given us a new perspective for our yard. Our neighbors often walk through the garden. Birds, squirrels, foxes, and deer all pay a visit. In prior years it was impenetrable and only the smallest of animals could make their way through the brush and debris.

With New Year’s Day behind us, we are closer to Spring. Only 77 days and it will be officially Spring. Within the next month bulbs should start peaking out of the ground. In the woodland garden we planted several thousand bulbs – a combination of daffodils (deer resistant) and woodland bulbs – sadly no tulips as the deer find them delectable.

Winter has just begun, so I will try to confine my thoughts of Spring to planning what changes I will make to the yard and gardens. In the basement, I will again try to grow seeds to get an early start on the growing season.

This past year was not spent just on clearing. The stone walls needed attention. The stone wall in the photo above is on our neighbor’s property, but it abuts our property. Through much effort we cleared the years of debris around it, cut up the trees that had fallen on the wall and carefully stacked the stones. It is now a nice focal point.

A friend of mine told me over the weekend that when her children are grown, and she and her husband retire, they want to move to a state with less winter – no snow. I understand the desire to avoid winter. It is not always beautiful. Still, waking up to a landscape made magical by a fresh snow is a thrilling and rich in visual delights. I appreciate my yard anew and look forward to the coming year.