Potager in Winter

  We woke this morning to winter’s magic.  A gentle, all-night snowfall of the tiniest flakes frosted the trees and cleansed the view.  It was too perfect to stay indoors despite the single-digit temperatures, so camera in hand I ventured out into the still world.  I’m sure the snowman at the potager fence would have greeted me if his mouth hadn’t been filled with snow.    I loved the snowfall on the potager’s entryway.    I’m hoping the potted boxwoods survive this long stretch of frigid weather.  Generally we don’t have temperatures this cold until after the holidays, when the boxwoods have been moved to the shelter of the basement.  You can’t see the tracks well, but a rabbit had already visited the potager gate earlier this morning, probably just to see if a careless gardener had by chance left the gate open a crack.  Once the gate was pushed open, no easy task with the frozen snow piled up behind it, the arches which normally disappear against the browns of the paths and boxes stood out starkly against the white landscape.  The arches have already been moved to the East-West central path for the coming season, back to their original position after being on the North-South path this year.  It’s partly to help rotate crops, and partly because I can’t decide which I like best.  There are benefits to both locations.  I’m just pleased that I can still move them by myself!  Another eye-catching item that is barely noticed during the growing season is the berry netting over the strawberry beds.    A thoughtful gardener would have carefully stored it away for the winter.  I’m congratulating myself that the netting over the berry rows did get rolled up this year, before the deer catch it in their antlers or feet and tear/drag it across the lawn into the woods as happened last winter!  If we get a warm spell maybe this netting will get stored away as well.  Maybe.  Moving onward to the south fence, normally I would take a break on this bench my father made for me years ago, but it’s not an option today.   It will need a new coat of stain next spring.  I shouldn’t admit that it was on the job list for last spring as well, but never made it to the top of the list.  Sigh…  About face, back up the north-south path to the Lady Cottage, where the icicles add a delicate crystal edging.    It’s too cold to linger in the unheated cottage today, although peeking in the window I noticed the tea caddy left open on the table beckoning to me.  Another, warmer day perhaps.   Have you noticed that it is difficult for me to simply enjoy winter’s beauty?  Even a leisurely walk in winter’s wonderland morphs into a mental job list.  I think I’ll trek to the mailbox to see if more seed catalogs arrived.  I love the beauty of winter, but winter itself is better in small doses, and this morning’s short venture was large enough.  Besides, it’s beginning to snow again.  I think the view will be great from the windows!

Let’s just say this is Six on Saturday, even though I posted seven photos.  Thanks to The Propagator for hosting this meme.