Oh! What A Beautiful Morning!

Five inches of snow frosting every surface!

Awoke to a beautiful world this morning and rushed out with the camera before the sun was even thinking of coming up. (Although I suspect it is too cloudy to be helpful when it does.) Unfortunately, the cold air clouded the lens faster than I could wipe it clear and click the shutter, so things look a bit murky. It was SO quiet, with not even a baby’s breath of wind or a hint of traffic in the distance. Even the neighbor’s rooster was silent.

The sculpture of the “Tiger Eye” sumac really stand out in these conditions.

I love the stark contrast that highlight the structure of plants. There’s nothing but pure white, white, white and grays to black. One doesn’t get to see the actual form of plants when they are covered in leaves, but now their lines are so apparent.

Aren’t the shadows cast by my beloved elder gorgeous?

The elder was pruned up and thinned out a bit last October, partly to make it easier to walk around and partly so winter aconites could be planted underneath. There were no signs of green at all before this snow, but I’m hopeful they will bloom soon. If I were painting this, I’d need a lot of blues and purples. By this time my fingers were cold, so I hurried indoors to make a pot of tea. While I waited for the kettle to boil, I check my newest acquisition.

A bit of green for the kitchen!

Last week I helped host a tea party, and made the traditional cucumber finger sandwiches, which required fresh mint. A plastic package from the “big” grocery in “town-town” (as opposed to our small grocery in our small town which doesn’t carry such oddities) yielded enough for the sandwiches with a couple of sprigs leftover. Placed in a jar of water, they quickly perked up and are already forming roots. Gotta love those durable mints! They are already stretching a bit, due to our lack of sunshine, so I’ve moved them from the sunless window to under the most-used counter, where the light is frequently on. Sometimes the big pot of mint by the Lady Cottage doesn’t survive the winter, so I’m happy to have a start if needed. Plus it just makes me smile to see a bit of green in the kitchen.

I think this is the snow that prompts me to “winter seed” the poppies, nigella and larkspur in the Cutting Garden. Mixing the seed with a handful of potting soil helps keep the birds from finding it, and provides cover for those that need darkness (larkspur especially!) Later, I’ll be seeding another flat or two indoors and noting what has already germinated in the seeding journal. Even with snow on the ground, the excitement of spring planting and the anticipation of it all is bubbling in my blood. Are you gearing up and smiling more?