It was with a heavy heart that  I took a full walk around the property this afternoon. The snow is pretty deep and it is hard to predict the extent of the damage, but what I could see was not good.

Our biggest tree, a maple I planted almost upon arrival here in 1989, is pretty much toast. Huge branches , including all those from the very top of the tree not only broke off, but stripped the bark down large sections of the trunk as they fell.

The boys and I cut off what we could yesterday, but for  the rest we  need ladders, and there is too much snow for that.

My ‘Mrs.Robinson’ crabapple, all loaded with winter fruit took a big hit, as did the magnolia and two pear trees. A third out back is now just a trunk.

The white pines, very suseptible to winter damage anyway, are broken and twisted.

The ninebark and forsythia,, the first over 10 ft tall, the latter about 15 are still buried.

And the stacks of branches are starting to pile up. 

Yesterday we went out in the cold for as long as we could (we had no power or heat to come back in to) and shook lots of bushes and limbs to free them from the  heavy  wet snow and see if they would  perk back up. Some we had success with, some, not so much.

Once the snow melts and we clear the paths of debris, I will be able to prune some things back into shape, or tie some things up as in the case of the arborvitae. Usually in winter, lots of these are tied or protected somehow ( the boxwood too but no one had gotten to that yet. It was still early fall, and a lovely warm one at that.

A lesson learned, both the concolor firs and the corylus ‘contorta’ were left unscathed, their branches fully able to bear the weight and shake it off.

All over the place roads are still blocked by downed limbs  and trees are still precariously balance on power lines. It is scary to drive under them, I duck out of reflex every time.

We have power back on, so tommorow I will head out to start some of the cleanup. Looks like the chipper will be working overtime, and the hobo fire barrel will be cranking in January.

Sigh.

I had just started to head outside into the garden in the past few day to take some photos of the foliage that was starting to turn…lots of things were still very green and there were cheerful mums, many roses and even two clematis in bloom. This garden was still rockin some serious fall beauty until last night. All day yesterday it rained, cold , raw depressing rain. As the drops were falling, so were the temperatures and the meteorologists were warning those of us in high elevations that we would see snow. They called it right (for once in a very long time) , and we got snow, but first sleet and freezing rain from which the garden will not recover. Well then. I guess you can call this season done. Darn.

But, it  is beautiful out there. Now that my hands have regained their feeling ( it is 27 degrees out there) I can show you some pics of the destruction.As always..click to embiggen. 🙂

 Going through and cleaning up the photo files after a busy year here in the Burrow.Found lots of keepers that really will help me improve many of the plantings, as well as some that I just like for the photos themselves.

 This one falls into the second category… Why do I love this photo?

 Because in this very blooming garden, where from March to November you can find color everywhere…..

 in this photo…… there is nothing but green. Crazy. Just look at all the shades, very cool.

                                             This ranks as a favorite too, because it is the very defininition of “bloom where you’re planted” …which is just darn good advice.

 This one is sweet

                                                                                                                                                                    and this one has great color.

                                                                                                                                   And this one makes winter seem peaceful and wonderful.

                                                                                                                                                          Amazing how photos can do that.

go over to www.gardeninggonewild.com to see some great photography by Saxon Holt, as well as many fellow bloggers whose photographs puts my humble “pictures” to shame.



It is wind down time here in the Burrow, leaves are starting to change and the weather is offering up nice cool nights even though the days are still unseasonably warm.

Although there is less in bloom, a garden walk is still a delight given the clear, crisp air today (after more deluge yesterday) and the beautiful fall sunlight.

Laziness reigns, and we have still yet to put away all the pool furniture and toys, the garage is a MESS and the shed arrival will be delayed another 6 weeks (this due to the fact that it never occured to us when we ordered it that after the fence went in and the gardens that followed it last year , there is no way to access our yard with heavy equipment anymore. Feeling like a total idiot, I had to call the shed company and instead have it arranged to be built on site. Sigh). We were going to tackle some of that today, but that remains to be seen.

I did manage to get a few things cut back that looked particulary hideous and planted some bulbs (snowdrops, crocus -or as I like to call it here”chipmunk snacks”, species tulips and allium). While out there I also managed to break the bolt on the wheelbarrow AND give it a flat tire, so I need to  add fixing that to the to-do list as well.

Instead of wallowing in overwhelmingly depressing work loads, lets look at some pictures!

Lots of roses are still flowering, the mums look spectacular, many annuals are still strutting their stuff, and lots of foliage is turning .

I just love how the white roses (sea foam and magic carpet have such a pronounced blush of pink on them in the fall,  and especially love how no hard frost has knocked them down yet.

I am off to enjoy the day, and hope you are too!