Being homebound all weekend during Portland’s recent snow and ice storm had it’s moments of beauty. Here are a few from the garden.
First came the snow – about 6-8″ in a town with few snow plows. The covers blew off my raised beds, which were then blanketed in white.
Then came the ice. Freezing rain kicked in and left 1/2-1″ thick icy over the snow. The leeks and onions are still standing, like brave soldiers.
All of this tells you pretty quickly which plants are truly cold-hardy and which ones are borderline. The euphorbia, which I think will actually pull through, just looked droopy and displeased.
Meanwhile the rosemary stood tall with glistening needles.
We may lose the blooms from early flowering plants, like our quince, that were already opening up.
Our apricot tree’s buds were just starting to swell, so I am still optimistic it will bloom and fruit like normal.
Things started to melt toward the end of the weekend, but refroze again overnight.
With all the buzz of spring planning, this cold snap was a stunning reminder of winter’s force. It’s a brilliant, quiet and powerful time of year. It deserves a bit more of my attention to savor the present moment before getting swept into spring plans.
