There are occasions when snowdrops (Galanthus spp., below) push through snow to flower in winter’s most inhospitable conditions. Though much of the snow has melted, the deeply shaded front garden remains covered, and today a few snowdrops have managed to poke through along the treacherously icy front walk. I’ve been waiting. I’m certain that area…
Month: February 2014
For the birds
In late February, abundant berries remain on nandinas (Nandina domestica, above) and many of the hollies (Ilex spp.) in the garden. The uneaten berries are typical, I suppose evidence that these are unappetizing to all but the hungriest birds. Even in years when I’ve been discouraged from stocking the bird feeder due to the growing…
Just around the corner
Though the garden remains covered by snow, several days of warmer temperatures are forecast for this week. Time for winter is running short on the calendar, and finally there is evidence that this long season of cold might be coming to a close. While it’s likely that the snow will melt in a few days,…
Cutting back the hellebores
Predictably, I failed to remove the foliage from hellebores before the flower buds swelled in late December, and now they are covered by many inches of wet snow. By mid January the buds were prominent, and there have been times when the hellebores flowered from late December until March. But, temperatures have been far too…
The overnight snow
I’m getting too old for this. Perhaps I am too old, and I’m fooling myself. Anyway, this morning an able bodied young fellow trudged down the walk to inquire if my wife and I needed some help shoveling last night’s fourteen inch snowfall from the driveway. No, I told him, I’m planning to dig it…
Another day in paradise
Another day, another ice storm. Or snow. And if we’re fortunate the day will bring only a cold, miserable rain. This winter has gone on far too long already with ice and snow, and too much shivering cold. The snow has been mostly benign, but the December ice storm kick started one garden trauma after…
Tracks in the snow
The morning after a recent snowfall the back garden was crisscrossed by deer tracks. This was hardly a revelation. I can’t claim that the local deer community is comparable to areas nearby that are vastly overpopulated. By comparison, there are few in this neighborhood, but the small group of deer beds down in the thicket…
Where are the snowdrops?
At the start of February I fear that nothing will flower in the garden again until April. There is no sign of the snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis, above), which remain under several inches of snow along the front walk. I don’t recall a time when these did not flower by mid February, but even when the…
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 