We’re in deep


What if the snow came up so high it covered the windows? Then there would be no light for these plants to yearn toward, as they are doing here. I don’t think it will happen, but there’s no denying that we are having one of the coldest, snowiest winters ever. There haven’t been any major blizzards, but slowly and steadily it is building up—with more to come.



This is wonderful for the local skiers; even I am considering trying some snowshoeing or maybe cross-country. And if it keeps up, I won’t need to go to any special park; I can just set out from my front door. I do wonder what all this will mean for the garden. Most of my shrubs are just about buried, as you see little Annabelle here (this comes up from new wood, so it will be fine). The rhodies are almost covered; that could be good or bad. Will some of my recently planted perennials make it? I wonder. If the snow cover persists all should be well, but this is extreme, and one never knows.


This winter—more than I any other I have experienced—I marvel at the seeming impossibility that the change of scenery you see above will happen.
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Lisa at Greenbow said…
Wow EAL that is a lot of snow. We have the most snow on the ground that we have had in a decade. Our area isn't used to it. This means the snow removal equipment isn't enough to keep the city open for business let alone the surrounding county. It has been quite an adventure.

Your flowers look great. I like the header too.
3:57 PM
Susan aka Miss. R said…
Eons ago when I was in college in Rochester I fell into a snowbank on the side of a raised walkway and vanished. The snow was taller than 5'7". I wasn't sober of course--it was college.
5:01 PM
Lona said…
Glad you showed the picture of the garden path before because you would never know there was one there. I so agree enough is enough.
Lona
5:25 PM
TC said…
Ms. Elizabeth, I've the same thoughts you're experiencing right now. It's deep here in western PA too. I can't even see my miscanthus at the end of the driveway because it's buried, with dirty snow pushed on it by the humongous snow plow trucks they use here. I have irises there as well. They've survived dirty snow before, but never this much. I worry about everything in the garden when snows are this heavy. One last note, I used to dream I could snow ski, but never have. It doesn't snow like this in Kentucky where I grew up.
5:48 PM
Gail said…
I officially surrender all romantic notions of snow...EAL, this is an incredible amount. It does seem to be a very cold and snowy year for you all. Just unusually cold here.

You need a break! Do you see anything in the forecast to indicate change is coming? Keep warm.

gail
6:01 PM
Kathy said…
It has never occurred to me that more snow could be harmful to plants. However, it could be harmful to the humans who have to wait that much longer for it all to melt, knowing that the first snowdrops are blooming underneath. Hmm. Shovel out the snowdrops . . . not until mid-March.
7:52 PM
O.I.M said…
Hello Elizabeth. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Your winter scenes look very much like my winter scenes. So much snow and no end in sight. I'm sure all your plants will do just great. The snow will protect them. My garden was completely buried last winter but everything...and I mean everything... came through with flying colours. Nevertheless, I've got my fingers crossed for an early spring prediction from the groundhog on his big day.
Happy Dreams of Spring.
Irena
7:55 PM
Unknown said…
Yes, it looks like we ARE sharing weather systems this year, for sure. But the days are getting longer, even the grey ones. That doesn't deter me from staying up late at night and sleeping away the grey mornings, though....:-)
9:44 PM
Carol Michel said…
We were running below average for snowfall (which equals moisture) for January in Indianapolis and then got a foot at once, so now we are buried like Buffalo.

"Buried like Buffalo" has a nice ring to it as a way to describe snow, doesn't it? Since we all envision Buffalo being snowed in from November through March, if you are noticing more snow this year, then WOW, that's a lot of snow!
5:34 AM
Nutty Gnome said…
We are getting a few pathetic attempts at snowflakes today, despite the weatherman raising my hopes by promising me "a bitterly cold day and lots of snow everywhere across the UK" .....well, it ain't happening and I want some snow - can I have some of yours please, you seem to have plenty to spare!
5:56 AM
Charley "Apple" Grabowski said…
The snow is half way up my windows where we rake the snow from the roof. I've stopped opening the draperies, it's just too depressing. It's been colder than the last few years too, so I'm hoping that the snow has insulated some of my zone 5 and 6 plants. Maybe we'll get a thaw in February.
8:34 AM
Hostabuff, Zone 6a said…
We are also having an unusually snowy year and surpassed the average snow fall for winter some weeks ago. With gardening usually first and formost in my mind, I feel much more confident that I will have a good spring if everyone is snuggly tucked under a heavy blanket of snow. However, I'll admit that I may have to run off to some place warm soon just to help me keep spring in focus...
10:28 AM
Mr. McGregor's Daughter said…
I've been having the same thoughts as I look over photos of the garden from last spring. We haven't had hardly any snow recently, but the stuff we've got on the ground won't go away either. I like Kathy's idea. I think I'll go dig out my Snowdrops this weekend.
10:14 AM
Annie in Austin said…
We don't get much now but the last winter before we moved to Texas was a very snowy one and the snow-shovel muscles have memories. The iris sometimes looked pretty bad if they were covered too long, but they did bounce back.

Do you have problems with people stepping on your plants, Elizabeth? We had to build a front fence in IL to keep the dwarf evergreens and shrubs from being trampled. There's something about a smooth, unbroken sheet of white that makes people want to stomp around and mess it up.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose
8:58 PM
Kylee Baumle said…
I never worry about too much snow for the plants and such. I always worry when we don't have much. I figure they are just wrapped up in their snow blankets and will do fine. I can remember when I was a kid, winters like this were the norm! The past twenty years have spoiled us!
10:14 PM
Anonymous said…
Hi Elizabeth, I do hope your lovely plants will survive just fine. And you too. Snow so high it covers the windows? Now that is a nightmare! I do hope your thaw will be well mannered and orderly, with the melting snow slowly trickling away from house and plants. We still have snow on the ground here too, from Monday, on the north facing slope. It has been a very cold winter for us too. Much below normal. We shall see what has survived soon. Stay warm and safe.
Frances
3:58 AM
lisa said…
What an amazing difference between those two pictures! As long as you have an insulating blanket of snow during any super-cold temps, the plants should all be fine. Up here, as the snow melts I will take the time to brush debris off my irises and cacti so they don't rot. Aside from that, snow is your friend! (Though sometimes a mischievious one :)
1:49 PM
LINDA from Each Little World said…
Elizabeth — Do you have a copy of the book "Buffalo Buried" about the 1977 snowstorm? There is a photo that always makes me think of Allentown where the kids are sliding down the snow-covered front stoop and the snow is drifted just over half way up the house windows and three-quarters of the way up the door. And you know how high so many of those front steps are!

Can't wait to see the progress of the mansion garden!
8:30 AM
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