Light Snow Over My 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, this winter has been unseasonably warm with day temperatures in the high 30s and 40s. Earlier this week, temperatures dipped just enough for a dusting of white before a night of drenching rain. During bad weather, my outdoor grounds crew works indoors, checking equipment and cleaning up our large Equipment Barn. It was a peaceful time to venture out and take a few photos.
Enjoy.
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- We got enough snow just to cover the ground. Here is a view looking north through my new garden maze, the pastures, and the burlap covered boxwood beyond.
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- Not far from the maze is the long row of boxwood that line both sides of the pergola – all covered in protective burlap.
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- These large stone pavers lead to my pavilion just off the carriage road near my pool. They were quickly outlined in snow, but it didn’t last long – this storm system turned to rain within a few hours.
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- Here are the trunks of the mighty pin oaks that grow alongside my large Equipment Barn. The pin oak is one of the most popular trees for landscaping because it’s so easy to transplant and is very hardy and handsome.
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- At this intersection is a weeping larch, Larix decidua ‘Pendula’. It has bright green needles in spring, which turn gold before dropping in fall. Even without its foliage, it is so interesting.
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- These trees are in a wooded area along the carriage road leading to my hayfields. My outdoor grounds crew is in the process of “cleaning” the woods, removing any trees that are dead, dying, or in the way of more healthy specimens. Those marked with a bright red “x” will eventually be taken down and replaced with younger saplings.
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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 lightly snow-covered landscape.
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- Further in the woodland, one of our younger evergreens – also getting covered in snow. In the distance – my large compost yard, where we make our own nutrient-rich compost and mulch.
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- Thankfully, the wind was not strong on this day, so none of the trees suffered any damage. In the woodland, all the barberry is also covered in snow.
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- In another field, an area of evergreens and gorgeous Christmas trees. I am so proud of all the trees I have planted around my farm – thousands and thousands. It’s one way I can give back to the Earth and help to create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet.
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- These are some of the “ancient” apple trees. They were here when I bought the farm and continue to produce delicious fruit.
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- Back through the woods – a section of carriage road still left untouched after a covering of white. It is so peaceful in the woodland.
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- This is my grove of American beech trees, Fagus grandifolia. 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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- This is my newest hoop house down by the chicken coops. It is filled with many of my tropical plants. Bales of hay are placed around the structure to keep it more insulated.
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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.
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- This is one of a several Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Filicoides’ or Fernspray Hinoki cypress bushes along the carriage road near the entrance to my Japanese Maple Woodland. We planted them here this past autumn. They are perfect for this area and look so beautiful as one turns the corner to the allée of lindens.
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- The Boxwood Allée looks so different in winter. I am so glad the boxwood is draped in burlap shrouds to keep everything protected from the snow, even if it’s light.
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- This is my herbaceous peony bed at rest – I cannot wait to see it overflowing with white and pink peony blooms this summer. One can still see the outline of the beds and plants through the snow.
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- Here is a small section of my long azalea border. I planted hundreds of colorful azaleas along both sides of the carriage road between my stable and my Summer House. It will be exciting to see what this garden looks like this spring. Remember the old gardening adage, “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, and the third year they leap.”
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- By early evening, the snow turned mostly to rain and washed the white away. Here, one can see the rounded tree pits marked by the melting snow. Behind them, tucked behind the Equipment Barn, is my pinetum where I keep a wonderful collection of evergreens. Today’s weather is expected to cloudy with temperatures in the high 40s. Hard to believe this is the middle of winter here in the New York City area.
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