A Fast-Moving February Snow Storm
Here in Bedford, New York, we're expecting mostly sunny skies today and temperatures in the low 30s - one day after our first major accumulating snow storm of the season.
The swift moving weather system started early yesterday morning and ended by early afternoon dropping more than eight-inches of beautiful white snow in the area. This snow was heavy and stuck to everything - the tree branches and shrubs, stone posts, walls, and steps, and the tops of all the burlap-encased urns and boxwood. Unfortunately, I was away on business and missed it all, but my crew back at the farm took many images to share. I hope you saw some of them on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48.
Here are some more, enjoy.
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- It’s always nice to tour the property while the snow is still coming down. For several hours, the farm was truly a veritable winter wonderland. These are the branches of a horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum – one of two large specimens in front of my stable.
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- This linden tree-lined path between the paddocks runs from my Winter House and carport down to the chicken coops.
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- Here is the little Basket House nestled in the grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum. The snow dropped about eight inches – the most snow we’ve had from one storm in quite some time.
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- On one side of my pergola is this weeping copper beech tree, Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Pendular’, an irregular spreading tree with long, weeping branches that reach the ground.
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- The 100-year old white spruce fencing has stood the test of time. I love how the snow collects on the fence rails. I have photographed sections of this beautiful fence many times through the seasons.
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- This is a row of six weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula. They line one side of the soccer field I set up for my grandson, Truman. These are such graceful and shapely specimen trees, very densely branched and adaptable to various soil conditions.
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- Looking up are the high branches of the mighty pin oaks, Quercus palustris, that grow alongside my Equipment Barn.
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- Tucked away between the Equipment Barn and a grove of weeping willows is my pinetum. It includes pines, spruces, and firs, as well as other evergreens.
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- This is the espalier of Asian pear trees we planted in front of the goose and peafowl pens. Espalier refers to an ancient technique, resulting in trees that grow flat, either against a wall, or along a wire-strung framework. Many kinds of trees respond beautifully to the espalier treatment, but fruit trees, like apple and pear, were some of the earliest examples.
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- This snow on the coop fencing is like a privacy wall. Snow stuck to nearly every surface and crevice.
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- Notice the holes in the burlap. It’s a “Good Thing” I developed to help our avian friends during winter – they love to take cover inside, especially during storms. On the left, my handsome Friesian, Hylke.
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- Along this carriage road on both sides are my young azaleas – very different looking from mid-May when they erupt with swaths of beautiful bright colors.
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- On one side is this Japanese Stewartia tree. Looking closely, one can see its distinctive multi-colored bark which peels in strips of gray, orange, and reddish-brown.
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- Here, it is easy to see which direction the snow was falling. This was a wet snow. Wet snow occurs when the air temperature near the surface is above freezing, causing the snowflakes to partially melt before reaching the surface. This causes the snowflakes to become “sticky.”
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- Here is a view looking through my orchard that surrounds the pool. More than 200-fruit trees are planted in this space.
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- Just outside my tennis court is this old apple tree. This is a favorite here at the farm. It grows delicious juicy sweet green apples.
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- Here’s a look through the woodland. Thankfully, the wind was not too strong, so none of my trees suffered any damage.
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- In this “pine paddock,” with its snow covered ground still undisturbed, it is hard to miss the stand of great eastern white pine trees, Pinus strobus. White pines are the tallest trees in eastern North America.
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- The Boxwood Allée looks so different in winter. I am so glad the boxwood is covered under burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow.
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- Here’s a stand of dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, with their straight trunks – impressive trees by any standard, and beautiful in any season.
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- On the right, one can see a bit of the old corn crib, which is original to the property. The unique “keystone” shape, flaring from bottom to top, was designed to shed water. The snow stopped falling by early afternoon, but I am so glad we captured some of the fresh beauty while it lasted.
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