I was inexplicably drawn to the vegetable garden yesterday; I suppose to see how it looked under a foot of snow.
All the usual clichés apply.
The snow is like a fluffy, thick, blanket.
It looks like Siberia.
It’s so white, and pure, and pristine, and quiet.
It’s cold.
When I see the garden like this, it is hard to imagine that in seven weeks or so, I’ll be planting peas, but I will be.
I used, of all things, a yard stick to measure how much snow had fallen in my yard.
After I took the picture, I wondered why I had chosen the dirtiest yard stick I have for this picture. It’s the yardstick I use to make short straight rows, actually depressions, in the garden when I’m sowing lettuce, radishes, spinach and other early spring crop seeds.
Did I mention I would be sowing them in about seven weeks?
Trudging through the snow out to the garden, I did not see any other tracks, just those I made myself.
I didn’t spend a lot of time out there because once you have snow coming up over your boots, it isn’t so fun to walk in it or lay down in it to make a snow angel. (Yes, I briefly considered making a snow angel because snow brings out the little kid in all of us, once we’ve shoveled the drive off and don’t feel so trapped by it all.)
It feels very alone out there in the snowy garden, seeing no tracks, no movement to speak of. I don’t know where the rabbits are hiding, but this rabbit statue has nowhere to hide, and just provides another reminder of how deep the snow is.
Wherever the rabbits are, I hope they are safe, and preparing to move away. But I’ll assume they aren’t going anywhere, so in seven weeks, when I sow the seeds for the early spring crops, I’ll also have to come up with some ways to keep the rabbits from eating them before I have a chance to.
In just seven weeks… I can wait seven more weeks. After all, I still need to order my seeds!
*****
Congratulations to commenter number 20, Robbie, the lucky winner of six packets of seeds from Botanical Interests.
For all those who didn’t win, I have good news! Kathy at Cold Climate Gardening is also hosting a seed giveaway, starting Friday, January 30th. Go there Friday and check it out! (If you go there before Friday, the link won’t work, so wait until Friday!)
I’m shivering just looking at all that snow. Hope the next seven weeks fly by for you!
Ah, hope springs eternal in a young gardener’s heart…….
It is hard to imagine planting peas with all the snow and frigid weather. I can’t wait, but then I already have all my seeds.
Brrrr… Seven weeks, will we make it?
And it’s sticking around too! Bloomington has been all screwed up by this much snow – will winter ever end?
looks so lovely a fluffy, can you send some our way, pleaaassseeee? (I am not sure how well snow goes in the mail …)
Good thing we have more time here…I still need to get the seed lists in order.
I can definitely see where our rabbits live (and eat, and that which follows eating). There are many little prints around the yard and through the fences. Maybe I should take notes and block them before spring planting comes around.
Love your blog, could totally relate to your post lamenting winter. Here’s one I did last week
http://moxiegardener.com/2009/01/using-a-snow-shovel-in-my-vegetable-garden/
Here in Minneapolis we have at least nine weeks to wait before we can plant peas, even taking drastic measures…
That’s a nice thick layer of snow you got, Carol. Just think of all your plants being all nice and cozy underneath that fluffy blanket.;-)
Here we seldom have snow and never in such quantities. At the mo we’re having another frost spell. I wonder if we will be able to skate for a second time this year.
Those 7 weeks will be gone before you know it.
Seven weeks? I’m with Ms. Minnesota — nine weeks easy. I love the yardstick and I’ve seen similar things to buy to use to measure snow. And if it wasn’t dirty, it wouldn’t show up so well against the white snow!
Sigh. More like 12 weeks here, Carol. Or longer. We might get snow-free earlier than that, but it won’t be fit to do much outside until late April, and that will be mostly cleanup, etc that didn’t get done in the fall. We have such cruddy springs now, worse than they used to be, but our autumns are nice.
The snow is beautiful. It is hard to imagine that in less than 2 months you will have little green sprouts everywhere. It also looks very peaceful.
seven weeks! HA! when i lived in east tennessee, i would be planting my peas in february…now her in upstate new york cannot even see ground in feb! but i have noticed that the days are getting longer, so spring is coming!
I’m keeping myself busy with inside projects durring the winter months, but I spend a good part of my time daydreaming about spring planting. Maybe I will sneek in a row of snow peas soon, just to get my gardening fix. -Lee
I love your positive attitude about the giant snow. Yes, in just seven weeks! Here, it will be the end of February, about five weeks. Can’t wait.~~Dee
Just keep repeating those words, Carol–only seven more weeks, only seven more weeks…
Just think, it’s keeping things warm down below. No such luck here. I have to use real blankets. Last night the temperature went down to 21 in our garden. The Agave desmettiana is toast. I had the heater on in the greenhouse but the milk jugs lining the outer walls had ice in them. Of course everything warmed up nicely in time for the freeze tonight. I almost think I’d welcome the snow blanket and what you get when it melts.
I wish I had a foot of snow on my garden. How much water does a foot of snow melt down to, I wonder. Lots of air trapped in snow so not as much as a foot.
Imagine double the depth of that snow as liquid water…24 inches of water covering your yard. That’s how much rainfall Austin should have gotten in the last 17 months and hasn’t.
Being Texas, though, we’ll probably get it all in one week somewhere down the road when the drought breaks. (I didn’t say “if”…I’m such an optimist.)
The snow looks beautiful.
I know how you feel, I live in Shelby county, Indiana. our 1 foot of snow is more like 2 to 3 feet from all of the drifting. I live in the country where snow plows don’t often wander, It is beautiful, But I long for spring.
Carol, I can’t believe all that snow! As someone who never gets to see that much it is exciting, but I am sure that you are ready for it to be gone now not in seven weeks.
Jan
Always Growing
I can’t wait to start my garden! I had such a great first year last year – I’m sure my second will be even better! Not to mention that I’ll be adding another 2 garden beds! I’ll finally be able to harvest some of my rhubarb and maybe this year I’ll get my lettuce to grow.
Your garden looks a lot like mine did last week. And the week before… the good news is, as my husband reminded me this morning, only 4 more weeks til Meteorological Spring!
Oh, it's just so lovely! Unlike you, counting seven more weeks until seeds, I'm counting seven more, since it's just gotta rain by then.
My pet bunny Harvey has been eating weeds like crazy but wishes he could see snow & Indiana bunnies.