Hard to believe it’s the end of the month and we’re already 1/12th of the way through the year! Argh!! Also hard to believe it’s time to start thinking seriously about this year’s garden. I know gardeners in other parts of the world have already got their seed trays full and grow lights turned on, but in this part of North America we generally don’t start annuals or vegetables until the end of March. Unless you have a heated greenhouse. Or at least a cold frame. And THAT”S on my list of projects for this year – food prices being what they are, it just makes more and more sense to grow as many of your own veggies as you can.
But for now it’s time for a look at what’s happening, garden wise, this week. After a bit of a slow start, January has turned out to be a quite cold month, with a comforting cover of snow to insulate the perennials and shrubs that are marginal in this climate zone. We had a few inches of snow on Monday, but the rest of the past week has been sunny and cold (three heavy layers cold for my runs), and my Six on Saturday is thus all about showing the beauty of a northern, winter garden. If you’d like to perhaps see more colourful gardens in warmer areas, head over to The Propagator’s site for Sixes from around the world.
Yes – just as cold here in Minnesota. I’m glad we’vw got snow cover, as these temperatures would otherwise be fatal to many things. I like the image of the grasses in the slanting sunlight.
Yeas, I love snow…usually, for many reasons. The frigid temps (-11 f right now…) Not so much 😁. Sunshine helps!!
You know, . . . . white is my favorite color, . . . and snow certainly looks fascinating, but now that I have seen a few pictures of it in a few different regions, it is starting to make me cringe. It has been cool here lately, so I cringe to think that snow is cooler than what I can experience here.
Yes, snow is cold! There’s different types of snow also; right now, with the sun just up, it really does look like a thick cotton batten blanket, fluffy with little knobby things…
Pretty photos even if it will be a while before Spring arrives.
Thank you Rosie – yes…a few months to go….
Hi Chris ! Striking photos as always ( all in white ! ). Have a good weekend.
Thanks Fred! I’ll be snowshoeing in a little while!!want to wait till it gets a bit warmer…say, -20…😁
Proper winter shots! So beautiful.
Thank you!
I clearly romanticize my memories of winter — that mention of snowshoeing in -20 made me gasp and think, “Uh. No.” Of course, after thirty years in the tropics and sub-tropics, I’m as bad as anyone. When it drops below 40F, I’m ready to huddle inside and wait it out.
That said, I think snow is glorious, especially when it decorates the landscape so nicely. If I were there, and had the right clothes, I’d be right out there with you — although I might not last as long as you. I love the second photo, with the sunlight, shadows, and tracks.
I was out this morning snowshoeing in our and our neighbour’s fields – kept looking back at the tracks…for some reason I’m fascinated by tracks in the snow, which is a good thing because the critters here (rabbit, coyote, mice, fox and others I imagine) seem to be partying in the snow all night, every night these days!
Pretty in white. I am appreciating your evergreen trees in their winter finery.
More snow next week…more evergreens tomorrow… 🙂
Good, love the images..
We don’t have snow here, and I always love seeing photos of snow in gardens! The sunflower photos are lovely!
Thank you! Much of the garden does look beautiful in the snow.
Your snowy garden looks especially lovely when the sun lights up those grasses. 😃
Thanks Cathy! You must have lots of snow now too eh?
Only a sprinkling actually…. it has been rather mild this winter, with just a couple of inches, then it thaws, another inch, a thaw etc! The Alps have had loads, but that is quite a few miles further south and higher ground of course.
Last year, it was snow and thaw here, as well, but this year it’s been consistently very cold!