The landscape has finally been reborn, cleansed of its imperfections, bleached in pure, glistening white, sparkling in the sun, blindingly renewed.  A somewhat fitting start to the new year, and one I’ve been waiting months to see.

I love snow.  I realize this puts me squarely in the minority and has for the majority of my life.  I don’t simply like looking at it, although its beauty is indisputable.  I too find shoveling to be an enjoyable task.  Weird, I know.  It’s a zen-like experience, and the quiet, sheer unadulterated silence is simply exhilarating.  It’s a calming silence, not an eerie one, and for a short time, only you, the shovel, and snow exist.  Snow is my nirvana, and it’s good for the landscape too.

Snow, as you may know, is an insulator, and helps warm and maintain soil temperatures.  Additionally, it provides much needed moisture to the plants below.  Snow also acts as a barrier to drying winds, thus mitigating water loss.  Think of it as nature’s blanket.  Your garden does.

  “Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.”

-William Hamilton Gibson

See?  I’m not alone.

Best and WARM wishes,

Kim Sweeney