A Light Snow Covers My Farm
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're expecting temperatures in the 60s this weekend - almost springlike after a day of light snow.
Even if you’re not a big fan of cold weather, it's hard not to love a gorgeous snow-covered landscape. Yesterday, we got a light coating of white powder. Thankfully, my tropical plants are tucked away in temperature-controlled greenhouses, but we're still in the process of covering all my precious boxwood shrubs and hedges with protective burlap.
Enjoy these photos.
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- There’s always a bit of excitement with the first snow. The area got just a coating, but enough to cover almost everything in white. The light fluffy snow forms when all layers of the atmosphere are below freezing. Because the air is cold, all the way down to the surface, snowflakes don’t melt. It was just about 32-degrees Fahrenheit in the early morning with temperatures rising to nearly 40-degrees by midday. Hard to tell this is pachysandra underneath the snow.
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- We got enough snow just to cover the ground. Here are the trunks of the mighty pin oaks that grow alongside my large Equipment Barn. One can see the rounded tree pits clearly marked by the snow.
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- This is a view looking down from the end of my clematis pergola. The uprights for this pergola are antique granite posts from China – originally used as grape supports. They’re perfect as posts because they don’t rot over time like the wood overhead. I love the shadows these uprights cast on the ground below.
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- This is a row of six weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula. They line one side of my soccer field and the archery range I set up for my grandson, Truman.
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- This paddock fence borders my grove of American beech trees, Fagus grandifolia. The snow covers the area showing just a hint of the green grassy lawn.
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- American beech trees are slow to grow, but can live up to 300-years. It’s interesting how some drop all their leaves, while others hold onto them as long as possible.
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- Tucked away between the Equipment Barn and a grove of weeping willows is my pinetum where I keep a wonderful collection of evergreens I started planting about 12-years ago. This area includes pines, spruces, firs, and others. The Alaska cedar is an interesting medium-sized evergreen tree with gray-green to blue-green foliage that droops from widely spaced branches.
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- The snow accumulated on almost every branch of this oriental spruce, but did not weigh any down too much.
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- The bright white snow looks so pretty against the golden-green foliage.
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- Just off the carriage road leading to my tennis court, is this stand of dawn redwoods, Metasequoia, with their straight trunks. They are impressive trees by any standard, and beautiful in any season.
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- One can sometimes tell the direction of the wind by the way the snow collects on the trees – it creates such interesting patterns on the tree trunks.
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- I love how snow piles on this 100-year old white spruce fencing I purchased in Canada.
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- Here is one of my five greenhouses not far from my stable and chicken coops. My citrus plants have been ready for winter for quite some time – we moved them into this temperature controlled structure back in October. Bales of hay are placed around the greenhouse to keep it more insulated.
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- This is my original Allee of Lindens. As these trees grow, the trunks stand like pillars with their branches covered with dense foliage, making them a great choice for a beautifully sculpted allee.
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- All the ornamental urns, birdbaths, and troughs are well-covered with burlap. These three vessels are located in front of my stable office, where my property director, operations manager, and business manager have their offices.
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- And just up the hill is the donkey paddock, where Truman “TJ” Junior, Rufus, Jude “JJ” Junior, Billie, and Clive stay during the day. They love this weather and have naturally thick coats that protect them in the cold.
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- The snow lightly coated the stone walls. Temperatures remained in the 30s through the day with a mix of sun and clouds.
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- Here is an allee between the paddocks. The long building at the end contains a four-bay carport, a flower room, a generator room, and my studio.
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- In the center of this part of my farm, it is hard to miss the stand of eastern white pine trees, Pinus strobus. White pines are the tallest trees in eastern North America. To the left – the snow covered roofs of the chicken coops.
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- The snow fell overnight, stopping by early morning. Here, one can see the sun trying to shine through the clouds. The Boxwood Allee looks so different in winter. Wait until you see it all covered under burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow. Warmer weather is on its way. We’re expecting to hit 62-degrees Fahrenheit tomorrow at my farm.
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