As The Snow Began To Fall

I still have some leftover root crops to dig in the roadside vegetable garden. It is possible to store them in the ground - weathers depending. We shall see.

The fine print still says two to four inches of snow for me. The radar says it got stuck at the high peaks of the Tennessee border this afternoon. I will see in the morning if the big snow managed to get over the top in the dark of the night.

Tomorrow will be a snow day no matter. The diagnosed high of 33 is below my minimum operating temperature. 

Let it snow.

Straight To Siberolina

Update: The fine print says winter will be arriving at my house early tomorrow afternoon. A prolonged NW flow event will bring snow to the higher elevations along the Tennessee border. That would be me. How much will be determined. The word accumulation was used. Wind was mentioned. The meadow's remains will get thinner.

The lowest suggested low is in the teens for our first winter storm and following days of well below freezing cold. It seemed prudent to go dig some root crops before the ground froze. I might could actually cook something whiled it snowed.

For some reason I kept on. Root crops were sliced. Water was boiled. Parsnips, potatoes and carrots with butter and salt make a fine 5 star gruel. It is surprisingly complex and delicious. I have beets for the snow storm.

Tomorrow I will dash out and dash home, before things begin to stick I hope. One truck needs to be parked at the top of the drive. Siberolina is on the way.

 

A Visit Down To The Under Garden

Winter with a chance of snow is scheduled to arrive Tuesday morning.

Depending, that could knock out more of the dried remnants of the Tall Flower Meadow.

The last few years I have chopped a lot of it down on Thanksgiving, before winter settles in.

The decay was particularly lovely this year. I have not wanted to cut it down just yet.

It stopped raining so much at the perfect end of season time while things cooled down. The meadows dried slowly, in color, upright and quite perky.

Slowly it just disappears.

The Under Garden of winter and all my accoutrements sweeping over the 'aina become visible once again to all the lookers driving by. 

Let it snow.

Three gardens were clocked out of for the season this week. More will follow on a 'good God it's gonna be cold' adjusted schedule. My garden's new season is just beginning.

On Thanks Giving

For Hale Mana

 

For warm sunshine that lights up my bling.

For the 'Aina

For all it gives.

For elbow room

And lasting monuments.

For a beautiful afternoon

Before winter arrives Tuesday morning.

For a Holiday Tree that channels the heaven's fire. Thanks giving.

 

Light Quality

I'm not home most days when the sun finally rises high enough to light up my Holiday Tree. Should there be sun. If calling it the Holiday Tree offends you, just get over it. There are a lot of holidays between now and when it leafs back out around May Day.

I have a tree full of bling for every occasion. The truth is my Japanese maple collided with a chandelier that shall remain nameless. 

Most days I get home to a deep blue shadow after the sun has shined on all my bling.

I got home a bit earlier today when the shadow wasn't so dense. That makes a big difference in what the camera sees and the mood of the garden in pictures.

The light keeps changing.

There are many moods in a garden in motion.

And many moods in time.

 

Watching

I have done some light editing of skylights and will brush the fallen leaves off the evergreens as I wander about in the blue light of a mountain's shadow.

For the most part, the Lush vanishes on its own.

I wait. I watch.

I marvel at the eerie beauty of decay. A day will come, after the first snow perhaps, when select remnants will get chopped down. The Under Garden of winter is near ready to come out. I'm not quite ready yet.

The Decay

It is most fascinating to watch another garden being born.

November's Flower

I could have gone hunting for leftover asters and mums. I did have some fall blooming crocus last week. But in November I know where to look for fresh flowers. There is a hint in the right side edge of this picture.

The native Witch Hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, blooms now. It is the very last flower of the year. A cold front was incoming and the wind was blowing rough. I was lucky to get one picture in good focus. That is my flower for Bloom Day.

I did get a few gardening chores done this weekend before the wind blew in. The roadside vegetable garden was tidied. I still have beets, parsnips, carrots and potatoes to dig. That needs to coincide with an urge to cook which continues to prove problematic. Sister #2 keeps insisting I could handle boiling some water. It does seem reasonable enough.

Do dried flowers count? I left one big clump of ironweed standing just for the sculptural effect.

It's about to turn coldish for the week. The Witch Hazels will finish blooming. All will be ready for winter. There won't be any more fresh flowers out there until mid to late January when the snowdrops and hybrid Witch Hazels start to bloom. Yes in January.

December shall remain the one bloomless month of the year. Now I have a sign to remind me. They'll be back next year.

Incoming Under Garden

The light has changed.

By the time I get home most days, the garden is fully shadowed by the mountain across the byway.

The decay is ongoing and will be enhanced this week by several freezing mornings, as if winter might arrive. The Under Garden is coming. Let's go wander about.