A Forgiveness of Snow

Backyard magic

January seems to have finally arrived with a nice bit of snow and a wintry mix of ice, sleet, rain, and whatever else Mother Nature contrives to throw at us. I love the snow. I love how it blankets and slithers through the landscape, covering any number of gardening sins or neglect. A bench left out becomes a piece of garden architecture. Trees become magical scaffolds limned in white. And you can't see all the pesky weeds.

Snow also insulates the soil and gives a low slow seep of moisture when we thaw. My snowdrops are safely tucked away for now. For this northerner, it isn't winter without a canvas of the white stuff. It magnifies the shifting colors of the evergreens. The sun patterns it with etchings of branch shadows. Tracks of rabbits become secret paths as foxes stalk their routes.

I even enjoy shoveling it. Pushing piles of buttercream around as the cardinal couple gossips in the hedges on a quiet frosty morning is my favorite form of cardio. What kind of weather magic do you love?