Living in the northeast one must be prepared to appreciate all seasons. It is only the beginning of December, so winter is not officially here yet, however our first real snow has blanketed the ground with a layer of snow and ice. It surely looks more like winter than any other season.

A few inches of snow made more difficult by a layer of ice underneath.

Snow allows your eye to focus. Only certain things stand out in the snow. I walk around my yard in the snow to understand the plantings and the terrain in a fresher way.

The darkest of the evergreens is a Japanese Umbrella Pine. The trees were all planted at the same time, but some 80 years later the others are much bigger.
A Canadian Hemlock and a Japanese Maple. The Hemlock was planted almost 60 years ago.

The beauty of evergreen trees is heightened in winter. The expanses of white make the evergreens look more majestic. Boughs covered in snow are classic and I enjoy seeing them weighted to the ground.

The picnic area looking toward the woodland garden.
The stream along the driveway. The stone wall is more obvious when there are no leaves to distract the eye.
Entrance gate to the Oriental garden.

Garden outlines and shapes also become more distinct. The rock outlined beds surrounding the picnic area take on a softer appearance when blanketed by snow. The snow will be heavy and cause the leaves in the flower beds to compress and begin to break down into the soil. The entrance gate of the Oriental garden provides a contrast to the snowy garden path.

A wasps nest hanging from a tree.
Holly berries covered in snow.
Icicles hanging from an urn at the front door.

Snow also shows me things I might otherwise not see. The wasps nest was covered by leaves in the summer. The holly berries are a beautiful bright red in contrast to the dark green leaves and white snow. The Icicles are a testament to the cold temperature and look romantic hanging from the urn.

The covered swimming pool reminds me of summer and the fun times we had swimming in the bright sunshine. Seeing it covered in snow tells me that in roughly 6 months we will again be in the pool. Now that the snow is here it won’t last forever. Spring and Summer are just around the corner – in a few more months anyway!

2 thoughts on “Winter

    • It is hanging in front of the Oriental gate. It’s a big one. I did not see it last summer, so I do not know if it is still active.

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