Will It Snow?

The diagnosis kept changing between snow and no snow, one of those above 3500 feet possibilities. Rain was a given. That alone was cause for celebration. I planted a few bulbs in a client's garden yesterday and did not have to dig deep to find dry dirt. We have a big deficit to make up for.

There was time left over for a stroll on a cool grey afternoon before the rains began.

The garden still blooms the first week of December. Hamamelis virginiana, the native Witch Hazel, is the final end of the season. Winter is near.

Two out of three cats followed. It was good for them to get out and stretch their legs.

Post fall has its charms. The 'aina is exposed. The true place and scale of things is made apparent. The drying meadow turns every shade of amber.

There was no snow. Instead there has been steady rain, a perfectly dreary day. It is a warmup for winter confinement.

The wet has the nice effect of accentuating the colors of the Under Garden.

It is an experiment in abstract pointillism in the garden. There is no intention beyond rhythm.

The true point is to have a functioning garden in the barren time.

Over the winter the meadows will be mowed down. The bare bone structure of the evergreen Under Garden is all that will remain in the vast space of the wild cultivated gardens. That winter garden is still years away from a substantial impact. It is slow growing. I am just thrilled to see it is starting to show up.

The winter stature of the grasses are a big help in the meantime.

It was time to go have a look. The main Under Garden has been cleared of the Tall Flower Meadow. Rain was making nice color contrasts. I grabbed an umbrella and went out. This is the view from the scenic byway.

In another three years, the left side seen up close three pictures above will have grown to catch up with the right. A garden of bold, colorful, abstract pointillism with no point will try to make a point high on the low spot of a North Carolina mountain top.