Why snow at the end of March isn't such a bad thing... really!

Are you going a little stir crazy yet?  This is our second day in a row with icy fog, and it is currently snowing out there.  After a long winter with consistent snow cover since November, some Calgarians I know are getting just a wee bit impatient for nicer weather!  We haven't had any chinooks this past winter that were strong or long enough to get rid of the snow for at least short periods, which is unusual for Calgary.  As a gardener I don't really love the chinooks, but the lack of them did make for a long winter, I admit.

But the ice crystals out there right now are so pretty, aren't they?  And actually snow cover on the garden all winter long is a very good thing in terms of insulation against temperature swings and our dry winter winds.  It's too early to do any work in the garden anyway, so I'm just as happy to have snow cover protecting my plants a little bit longer. 

And by the way, my oldest daughter (7 years old) has invented two new seasons which should replace the typical "spring" that other parts of the country have: sprinter and sprummer!  If you've lived in Calgary for a while then you know what she's talking about! 

So while I'm sure you are looking forward to sprinter, please enjoy some pictures I took of the icy beauty in my yard this morning:

Above: the front Welcome Garden.

 
Above: teasel in the front Welcome Garden.

Above: stipa tenuissima in a pot on the front step.  I had originally planned to overwinter it in the coldroom in the basement but I never got around to bringing it inside last fall!  Oops (and that reminds me, I should probably bring in the Christmas arrangement by the front door sometime soon as well...)

Above: Karl Foerster in the back Shade Garden.

Above: another view of Karl.

Above: a sedge in another pot in the back garden.  It looks like a wig, don't you think?

 

Comments

[The Ms. S.]

The last one looks like "cousin it" from TV. lol

Great photos actually. :) The grasses really provide winter interest.

[Adrian Thysse]

OOOOh! Teasels! Didn't know they were hardy here. Want some.

Great photos - a good testament to leaving the garden untrimmed in Fall!

[Janice Miller-Young]

Hi Adrian,
Yes, theyre biennials and hardy here.  I started it from seed 2 years ago and Ive heard they self-seed like crazy so I will be vigilant this spring but would like to continue to have one in the garden.  They dont look like much in their first year, though. 
I originally planted it for my kids (the squirrel character in the Little Grey Rabbit stories uses teasel as a comb) but theyre way too spiky to play with!
Cheers,
Janice

[Janice Miller-Young]

LOL!  Thanks Ms. S!  Youre right. Of course! I knew that photo put me in mind of something but I couldnt quite put my finger on IT.
Janice