11 November 2007

Snow globes, anyone???


Well, so much for planting bulbs this weekend. I had the best of intentions, really I did. However, Mother Nature thought it best to intervene...with about four inches of wet, heavy, and oh yes, definitely cold snow. Of course, all ideas of garden cleanup and other endeavours were promptly put aside. And with the wind screaming around the yard, I really wasn't up to taking a lot of photos.


Spruce trees are great for creating snow art, but so are naked branches. The fact that the temperature has hovered around freezing explains why the snow is still on trees and shrubs despite the wind--it's heavy snow, as you can tell by limbs bowed down. Or maybe they were just taking a moment to remember the veterans.


What was really interesting to me was that when I got up to the Lookoff, which as the name suggests looks off over the mountain and down across the Annapolis Valley--I believe we can see parts of five counties from there, if I'm not mistaken--I expected to see a winter wonderland in the Valley. Nope. A dusting of snow out towards Delhaven and Kingsport, a little more as you came in across towards Kentville, but nothing like we have. There were even those tender drifts across the road along near the Lookoff, the ones that scud in from the north-northwest off the fields and dump across the road. We're blessed with pretty good road clearing by the Dept of Highways, because the road to Scotts Bay is the only one in and out. I didn't stop to take photos at the Lookoff, though--too cold, windy and decidedly slippery going.

In our own yard, it was odd to see the birch trees dipped in snow, the clematis vines covered even though there are STILL flowers to come. Or there were, before last night. We did have flying flowers today, in the form of the voracious bluejays and the highly entertaining chickadees, stuffing themselves at the various feeders around the yard. My dearly beloved is very good at keeping the feeders filled, and now that it's colder, we can put out a half-dozen others that we stop using in summer. I got tired of bringing those in nightly lest raccoons get into them, but we have a number of raccoon-proof sites (including the clothesline) where we can put feeders. Squirrels have never been a problem here, other than that one who came in the spring--and decided prudently to move on.

It's been a few years since we've had any snow to speak of on Remembrance Day--it used to be a fairly regular occurance, but the past few years have been snow-free. I don't track the weather rigourously, but photos from previous Remembrance Day services are a good reminder of what we've had recently.

The ice plants have said, "enough--we quit", being covered in real ice and snow, but this bacopa deserves some sort of award for its tenacity over the past few months. This isn't the Gold n Pearls one I had last year, but it's been an even better performer and I rather enjoy those softly lavender flowers with the green/gold foliage. I think, though, it's had enough too, and that tomorrow it will be destined for the compost.

Of course, the question now is, whatever will be around for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day on Thursday? I may have to do a flashback from warmer days...but happily, other gardeners around the blogging world have more temperate weather than we do. And of course, I do have flowering plants in the house...Carol, can those count???

19 comments:

  1. Absolutely flowering plants indoors count for bloom day, especially if they bloomed under your care versus being bought in flower just for bloom day. But no one would do that, would they? :-)

    Your snow makes my little bit of rain look like nothing! Brrrrr!!!

    Carol at May Dreams Gardens

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  2. Say it isn't so!!! Snow already? Your arbor looks delightful though! Did this summer fly by? There is beauty in winter also, isn't there!

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  3. Very nice words and photos Jodi. Rememberance Day is always a mixed emotion day for me. I am deeply grateful for my freedom, but equally sad for what it cost so many.

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  4. Brrrrrr Your pictures look cold. We haven't had such cold but I will have to search high, low and possibly inside for blooms day.

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  5. I know this may sound crazy but I love snow and winter. Not because of Christmas or any of that but because here in the urban jungle it make everything look pristine and clean if only for a short few hours before people wake up and dirty it up.

    Of course where you live you may have a different perspective or appreciation of snow.

    And now that I've said this I'll probably get three feet of snow next week. :)

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  6. brr looks very chilly!!
    and quite beautiful

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  7. Beautiful snow. The weather has been acting weird I'm glad to here it's back to normal for you. Go have fun make some snowballs.

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  8. We had our first snow here on Saturday. Oh, it was gorgeous, just like yours! :)

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  9. I really love the first picture here..the frozen flower is just beautiful

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  10. You winter wonderland photos are simply gorgeous! I'm impressed that you weathered the cold in order to share it with all of us. We won't ever get snow here in the San Francisco Bay Area (except in a freak winter) so your photos will help me to feel all wintry inside. Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

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  11. Your snow is just beautiful! I'm actually looking forward to our first snow here, but it's supposed to stay in the high 50's here for the next week or so. Love that photo of the snow-covered echinops (snow globe....you are so clever :-) )

    Enjoy your snow!

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  12. Oh wow! What a difference a few degrees of latitude makes! Okay, maybe more than a few, but really...

    We had a wonderful day today. Highs in the mid-60s with most of the day dry so I could rake leaves to put on the compost pile and get the rest of the bulbs planted.

    Now it's raining. And thundering! We don't usually get thunderstorms in November.

    Beautiful photos, Jodi!

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  13. That second photograph is stunning, Jodi! That said, you can keep the snow for a while--I'm just not ready here, yet. lol.

    (And I think that colorful foliage might just count in my book for GBBD as well as indoor flowers and such. Partly because it's pretty and partly because I want to keep track of when my blueberries get set ablaze and such.)

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  14. I don't mean to rub it in Jodi but it was a balmy 65 degrees today and I uncovered the grill and cooked dinner outside !

    The photos of your garden and the first snow are lovely.

    Before long that's what we'll be doing in Chicago - indoor gardening.

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  15. Okay, brrr, Jodi! But look how great your blue arbor looks as an accent to all that snow and ice.

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  16. Your thoughtful post, Jodi, is certainly a reminder that winter is 'knocking on the door'. With our strange autumn in the midwest, today's balmy weather leaves many trees in my yard still wearing green ... leaving many tasks to accomplish before nestling in around the fire, bemoaning this year's fiascos and dreaming of gardens yet to be.

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  17. Wow, I'm so jealous. Florida only has two seasons, Summer and Almost Summer. Your pictures give me hope that other places in the world actually have seasonal changes. Although I do think I glimpsed an orangish colored leaf in my yard the other day.

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  18. What a gorgeous winter wonder land Jodi, in the first 3 pics. It really looks like winter now. Here we have rain and lots of it, so boring. We had the first autumn storm too so most of the beautiful leaves are gone from the trees.

    I haven't found a bacopa with lavender flowers over here. perhaps next year I'll be lucky enough to find one as I like them a lot.

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  19. Glad to hear from all of you, as always. This is Gazette deadline week, the tiny paper I look after for the Village of Canning, plus I have other things due, so I'm a bit behind in the fun stuff like reading blogs and posting too. As of tonight (Wednesday) the snow is all gone, after assorted rain and mild weather, probably sent from some of you in warmer latitudes. So I just MIGHT get those bulbs planted yet!

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