Garden Rewind: Winter Garden (Snow vs. Plants)
This winter, the Seattle area had the snowiest winter since I moved to the area over ten years ago. The city is not prepared for such snow storms so the chilly weather and downfall of snow makes hermits and nervous-nellies out of us all. It is also quite a shock to the plants that were never meant to thrive in such conditions.
The snow covered the garden beds. They practically disappeared under the blanket of snow. At it's snowiest, I walked around my backyard and the snow was almost up to my knees! It was pretty surreal, especially when accustomed to living in a place that sometimes doesn't even get snow during the winter. When we do, it doesn't usually even snow enough to cover my shoes let alone cover a portion of my leg.
It was too much for some of the plants that had made it past December and January. It was the snow of February proved to be their demise. Some plants succumbed to the snow and the burden of the cold, wilting and withering into soggy, limp and defeated messes.
But some of the plants survived despite spending several days covered by a thick layer of snow. These plants are an inspiration!
The snow covered the garden beds. They practically disappeared under the blanket of snow. At it's snowiest, I walked around my backyard and the snow was almost up to my knees! It was pretty surreal, especially when accustomed to living in a place that sometimes doesn't even get snow during the winter. When we do, it doesn't usually even snow enough to cover my shoes let alone cover a portion of my leg.
It was too much for some of the plants that had made it past December and January. It was the snow of February proved to be their demise. Some plants succumbed to the snow and the burden of the cold, wilting and withering into soggy, limp and defeated messes.
But some of the plants survived despite spending several days covered by a thick layer of snow. These plants are an inspiration!
When the snow started to melt, something even more amazing was revealed: new plants spouting from the ground! We planted several bulbs in the fall, and despite the snow, they are peeking out from the dirt. I am excited to see their blooms this spring.
The winter garden is bleaker in many ways since so few plants remain after the harshness of cold weather and the lack of the ever important sunshine. But in other ways, the winter garden is a beautiful reminder of perseverance and the beauty of life.