Friday, October 16, 2009

October 16th and the Water is Freezing

Never mention an old wives tale in your blog (about acorns and a long, snowy winter) as predictions can sometimes come true. The Doppler radar showed a mass of white/gray precipitation moving through last evening but never did I imagine waking up to our first coating of snow. Although Wachusett Mountain is within our view, it’s just too darn early to see the white flakes swirling around the backyard.

So as the morning started off frantically picking the last of the leeks, I shamefully admit that the fall to-do list is far from being complete. The horseradish must be dug and the figs need to be either buried or brought in soon. There is still deadheading and raking and weeding. The bright side – sunny, 60 degree temps are expected early next week.

As promised, the fall foliage plant line-up for Friday is the H. paniculata ‘Unique’. This shrub’s pink to mauve hues add just the right highlights to your garden, even in the snow. At the end of July, I mentioned this very hydrangea in my blog, talking about its unique color change. http://bilowzassociates.blogspot.com/2009/07/height-of-hydrangea-season.html

So as white flakes magically blend with the fall color, there are two inspirational gardening quotes for the day. As Carl Reiner so eloquently put it, “A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.” Yet one unknown author sees it quite differently. “To appreciate the beauty of a snow flake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.” Hopefully, the plants in the garden will see it that way, too. Have a great weekend. It’s still fall in New England.
Photo of H. paniculata ‘Unique’ on 10/16/09 - Photo by Greg Bilowz (Mittens required)
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