Leap Day Ice-Capades

All of Minnesota had been bracing for the storm. Timing and snow amounts varied widely, but we knew it was coming. Snowplows were out hours, even days, ahead of the storm to salt and sand the roads. Local weathermen constantly updated various warnings and advisories all across the state. Schools - most schools, anyway - were at the ready to notify parents and news stations of late starts and closings. Even the container gardening seminar I am registered to attend that was scheduled for the morning after the storm (which was today) was postponed until next week. Everyone was expecting snow, and a lot of it.

But it rained.

For hours, the rain came down just like you would expect in April or May. As the evening progressed, we watched surfaces transform from wet to crunchy and finally to ice. At least a half inch (2.5 cm) of ice covered everything.

Then the rain changed to snow.

In the morning we were greeted with a winter wonderland - or nightmare, depending on your point of view.

Everything is encased in ice, but I am going to focus on the plants, because plants covered in ice are prettier than roads covered in ice.

Our Silver Maple (Acer sacharinum) already has flower buds
ready to go thanks to our unusually mild winter.

The weight of the ice is bending tree and shrub branches.

The end of this branch is normally at head-level. It is now dragging on the ground.

'White Dome' Hydrangea that were standing straight up yesterday.

Snow and ice laden winter decorations.

 

Our hill of Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is thoroughly flattened.

The bird feeders also didn't make it through the storm unscathed.

The birds can only eat on one side of the feeder!

I'm not sure how long the ice will stay. The temperature is hovering around 35*F / 2*C and the trees were raining on me as I was taking these pictures. I'm sure most people will be glad to see the ice disappear. But since I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to go anywhere today, I will enjoy the crystalline beauty from my window while it lasts.

A Week of Fog and Frost

In keeping with the theme of this winter being very unusual, last week we were beset with nearly a week of fog. Normally fog hangs out in the morning and dissipates when the sun comes out, or at least by noon as it warms up. Not this fog. It was so thick that the sun had no effect on it, and it stayed all day. For days. Driving was a bit nerve-racking for a while.

(BTW, when driving in fog, TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS!! This is not so you can see through the fog - because we all know that doesn't work. It is so on-coming traffic can see YOU and not be lulled into a false sense of security that it is safe to pull into your lane or cross a major highway in front of you, because they couldn't see you.)

During the night the temps apparently dipped below freezing, because in the morning we were greeted with the most amazing hoarfrost.

Regent Apple (Malus 'Regent')

Compact Winged Euonymous (Euonymous elatus 'Compacta')

Compact Winged Euonymous

Most other hoarfrost I've seen is a nice, smooth coating that melts sometime before noon. Not this frost. It was extra Spiky Frost. 

Looking straight down a twig of the Compact Winged Euonymous.

Crabapple, variety unknown

A rose? Barberry, perhaps? Nope.
Miss Kim Lilac (Syringa patula)

Flower stalk of a Coral Bells, most likely Plum Pudding.
(Heuchera 'Plum Pudding')

Astilbe flowers.
(Astilbe 'Visions in Pink' - I believe)

An artificial accent in the winter containers.

White Dome Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescans 'White Dome')

In addition to Spiky Frost, I did find some things that had a lovely Frost Halo around the edges.

Volunteer Eastern Red Cedar. (Juniperus virginiana)

White Diamonds Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'White Diamonds')

Plum Pudding Coral Bells (Heuchera 'Plum Pudding')

Without a doubt the most difficult plant to photograph was the Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium). But I think I got some pretty cool pics.

Because of the immovable fog, the hoarfrost stayed all day long. The next night the fog froze again, and we had another day of hoarfrost. It was so bizarre to have the frost stay all day. In a strange way it helped to make it feel like winter - at least something was white, because the ground sure isn't.

Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas - Part 2

Here is the continuation of my winter decorations. The first three photos are from my second winter decoration client. In previous years she put the lights on herself. That particular strand finally died and she asked me to buy a new strand and to put it on while I decorate; she found it difficult to put the lights on after all the delicate materials were in. It was no problem for me to put the lights on once the spruce were in the containers. I was astonished that these three little crock pots required the entire 68 feet (20.7m) of lights!

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The rest of the photos are at my house.

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My mother-in-law hosted Thanksgiving this year, and she asked me to decorate her Horn-of-Plenty. This was my first attempt at something like this so I just winged it. I did not intend for it to feel so wintery, but I like the outcome anyway.

Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas - Part 1

Winter decoration - the crowning achievement of my gardening season. This year I had only two clients who wanted winter decoration. This particular client has thirty-nine containers, thirty-four of which get decorated. This property alone took six days to complete.

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The first photo and the four that follow are at the front entrance.

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This patio is outside the basement family room. My client decided that extra decoration for this area was not necessary - greens are just fine.

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The client's home office looks out on this collection of containers.

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The deck is directly off of the kitchen and family breakfast room.

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The entertainment room opens onto this patio.

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The creative muse lead me in a more subdued and natural theme this year. A few days after I completed the project, it snowed over night, so I rushed out to get photos of the display with a dusting of snow.