This Too Shall Pass

John and I were recently interviewed about what we do during the winter and although he would much rather be lolling on a beach in Kauai since he's developed an extreme distaste for winter, I rather look forward to each season with winter being no exception. I may have to amend that at the end of this winter if we continue to be walloped with one storm after another.

In winters past, John and I have been able to get out on milder days to putter around in the garden beds, cutting back perennials that we didn't get to in the fall. This year, however, the beds have remained under a blanket of snow. Instead of working in the hoop house cleaning up plants and checking inventory, we have had to remove layers of snow to keep the plastic from collapsing.Weathermen often seem dumbfounded as to what the weather is going to bring next until the event actually occurs. A "light dusting" has translated into 5 inches, leaving them to scratch their heads wondering why that happened. Now that we have just entered into what is normally our snowiest month, there is no telling what is in store for us next. As I write this, branches are crackling as the wind blows against their ice laden branches and plenty of fresh kindling for our wood stove has fallen to the ground. We lost well-established trees, shrubs and perennials over the hot dry summer and know there will be many more we have lost that will have to be removed come spring.
Deer have eaten the Manhattan Euonymus next to our well for the first time since we planted it decades ago (on the bright side, it needed a good pruning anyway). Mice have feasted on a number of plants in our hoop house and we have had to wage a war against them.
Please don't view these as complaints, merely observations. Others are far worse off and we have contended with Mother Nature numerous times over the years. The one thing I am sure of, we will plant anew to replace beloved plants that we lost and even though she is showing her wrath now, Mother Nature will bless us with her beauty once again in the spring.

Think Spring!
Cheryl