A Light Snowfall over the Farm
Even if you’re not a fan of cold weather, it's hard not to love a light snowfall over the landscape.
Here in the Northeast, we had a very wet and rainy weekend, but last week, temperatures dipped just enough for a light dusting of snow. We are still in the process of covering all the boxwood shrubs and hedges with burlap, but winter doesn’t officially begin until Friday and temperatures are expected to top in the mid-40s most of the week.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This is one of two huge cast iron sugar kettles I keep as fire pits at the farm. Sugar kettles were used on 19th century Louisiana plantations for the production of sugar. Sugar cane was placed in the large, spherical vessels and cooked down to make syrup. Because they could withstand such high heat, they were also used for cooking. They add such a nice accent to the landscape and have always been fun conversation pieces during gatherings.
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- Here is the other giant fire pit on the lower terrace parterre in front of my Winter House kitchen. This kettle weighs more than 300-pounds. On the sugar plantations, sugar cane was boiled in four kettles arranged from largest to smallest. The largest one held up to 500-gallons of sugar cane juice.
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- A light coating of snow accumulated on the stone wall by my Winter House herb garden. You can see a bit of the sedum that grows between the stone crevices. Sedum, a large genus of flowering plants, are also known as stonecrops and are members of the succulent family. Sedums thrive nearly anywhere, as long as they get good drainage.
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- The giant stone bird bath near the tree peony bed is now almost completely frozen. In winter, I also leave bowls of fresh water near the bird feeders, so there is always available water for birds to drink.
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- My three Sicilian donkeys, Billie, Rufus and Clive, love running across the paddock to greet visitors. The light snow doesn’t bother them one bit. Even though they have a very nice run-in shed to use in inclement weather, they enjoy playing and grazing in the open field.
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- Here is the long Boxwood Allee – now completely enshrouded in a layer of protective burlap. The crew is currently working on the boxwood in my Summer House garden. With so many precious boxwood shrubs and hedges here at the farm, the great “burlapping” process takes several weeks to complete.
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- Here is one grove of weeping willows on the edge of my lower hayfield. The golden hue looks so pretty against the landscape.
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- I love passing through the Pinetum during my horseback rides around the farm. This area includes pines, spruces and firs, as well as other evergreens. I try to add a few more specimens to the pinetum every year.
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- There are still many cones on the tree branches. This familiar woody cone is the female cone, which produces seeds. The male cones, which produce pollen, are usually herbaceous and much less noticeable even at full maturity. The name “cone” comes from the geometric cone shape seen in some species. The individual plates of a cone are known as scales.
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- The cones emerge in spring, but as time progresses, the cones turn brown – when they have passed maturity and already released their seeds. Most fall to the ground.
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- This is one side of the Pin Oak Allee adjacent to the Equipment Barn. Pin Oak, Quercus palustris, has an oblong or rounded crown that becomes more irregularly open with age.
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- The currant bushes look happy and healthy in their new location behind my main greenhouse.
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- This is my expansive “party lawn”, where I love to set-up games for guests during summer parties. At the end is the old corn crib, which has been here since I purchased the farm. Located near my Winter House and long pergola, it’s become a popular photo for guests who visit.
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- This is the long granite pergola. The light snow can be seen atop the mulch-covered beds and the stone cap of my catch basin. In the summer, the vertical posts support beautiful clematis vines which bloom in white and various shades of purple and blue.
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- The granite pergola also provides a wonderful lookout for perching birds. I am glad the birds can depend on food here at the farm all year long. The bird feeder is my copper feeder available from my collection on QVC.
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- The grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, looks stately even without any foliage. The small structure nestled within the trees is my basket house – filled with beautiful antique and vintage wicker baskets.
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- In the ground below the bald cypress are these “knees”. A cypress knee is a distinctive structure forming above the roots of a cypress tree. Their function is unknown, but they are generally seen on trees growing in swamps.
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- The Stewartia garden is still a work in progress, but it is doing very well. The snow is quickly covering this area in white.
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- These are the berries of the Sargent Crabapples located in front of my Tenant House. I have four of them in this location, flanking the carriage road. Sargent crabapple, Malus sargentii, is a highly ornamental tree. The bright red fruit provide a long season of interest and color.
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- And just outside my Winter House is the dwarf apple espalier. Some of the tastiest apples on the farm come from these trees.
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- Just above the trees on the back side of my long carport is a row of bird feeders – birds love to watch the farm activity from these espaliered trees after feasting on seeds.
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- And here is the view of my ancient apple trees with the burlapped Boxwood Allee in the distance. How has the weather been where you are? Share your comments in the section below. It is so nice to see comments from readers around the world – I am always excited to hear from you.
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