Verdict for January: cold and snowy

One of the great things about a garden blog is that it serves as a kind of diary. I've never been one to keep an official garden record on paper, so this helps.

We've had a colder-than-normal January. The average temperature was -9.5 C (that's 14.5 F). The normal average temperature for January in Hamilton hovers at -6 C.

We've also had a lot more snow, 62 centimetres of the white stuff (more than 2 feet), and about 20 cm more than normal for January. In fact, the snow is so deep that it's hard to get around even on snowshoes, but I manage. I just make the outings a bit shorter. The dogs are up to their bellies in the snow - they have to bound and jump to get around. Must get a picture of them in the snow tomorrow.

At the golf course today while it was snowing

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

We're in deep today

We had six inches of snow last night. Here's what the buried gardens look like.

The view I get stepping out my door

The four-square garden and its boxwood hedge
The rock garden plants snug under blanket of snow

Toby does not look amused: he's bored when I take out the camera

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Wishing you a cosy winter solstice

Today is winter solstice which brings the shortest day - and the longest night - of the year. The good news is that after this the days will start to get longer.

Here at my country garden, the snow is knee-deep, courtesty of two storms this week, one of which felt like an old-fashioned blizzard. Looks like we have a white Christmas in store, and I'd like to wish you all a merry one, and a happy New Year.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Mud season here. On deck: Spring

Our creek floods its banks again
Winter's retreat is long and ugly: we have officially entered mud season.

This is my least favorite time of the year, but it's the last hurtle to get over so we can at last enjoy some spring weather.

Most of the snow melted as temperatures are finally went up a bit yesterday and today. Overnight we had rain, which together with the melt run-off brought the inevitable day of flooding. Fortunately, it was very windy, which should help things dry up.

What we really need is some sunshine. Maybe tomorrow...

High water under the crumbling bridge at the road
© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Spring's late - first crocus showed up yesterday

Crocus in bloom on this day a year ago
I've never been one to keep a garden diary in book form, but the great thing about blogging and digital photo metadata is that you have a pretty good record of what's blooming when from year to year.

The picture of the crocuses above was taken a year ago today. Yesterday's four little crocuses growing through old verbascum leaves sure didn't look anything as nice as the crocus patch above. And this evening, it's snowing...again.

Interestingly, last year, we had snow on April 8th (it was Easter weekend). Of course, it didn't last long. From the looks of things, I won't be surprised if we get a bit of snow again this April.

Last year's Easter weekend snow
© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Winter just won't let up...

Today's snowdrift in front of our hoophouse
We tend to get our hopes up for an early spring when the calendar hits March, and the past few winters have lulled us into thinking that the "real" winters of yesteryear were no more.

No so this year: we're getting record amounts of snow. Today's headline in the Toronto Globe and Mail says it all: "Old Man Winter pumps up the volume." We've had snowstorm after snowstorm, and the current one is about the biggest of the season. Some are calling it "the winter from hell."

It certainly is that for snow removal budgets, and there is now so much snow that a quick thaw could bring serious flooding to parts of Ontario.

The snow removed from Toronto streets
Photo by Boris Spremo, The Globe and Mail
However, I'm happy. This snow pack is a god-send for our poor parched landscape, not to mention the water levels in the Great Lakes. If you recall, last summer, we had the worst drought in almost 50 years, so all this preciptation is manna from heaven, as far as I'm concerned.

Fortunately, there's a breath of spring in the air: the Canada Blooms garden show starts in Toronto next Wednesday. I'll be there to see what's new.

© Yvonne Cunnington, Country Gardener

Love Song to February

Everybody up here hates February, so on this 28th and last day, let me outline 10 reasons why I've learned love this much maligned month:

1. the days are getting longer and brighter
2. snowshoeing (in bad Feb. there's no snow, this year we got plenty)
3. roaming the neighborhood golf course with the dogs
4. no bugs
5. no weeding
6. no mowing
7. caloric excesses of the holiday season worked off (see number 2)
8. cozy evenings by the fire (or, more often, the computer hearth)
9. it's not mud season (see number 3 – dogs stay clean)
10. we are now four weeks closer to spring!

We had lots of snow this month, so here's to February 2007, one of the most enjoyable in years – despite the cold, which even I complained about.

Dirty secret: Winter is easier in the country

After last week's almost record snowfall, I was stuck by how lovely the snow was on our farm, and how easy it was to manage - and how ugly it was in town.

The big reason? In a word: salt. Here, we simply used the snowblower to clear the lane and now we have nice crunchy, hard-packed snow, which is easy to walk on and not the least bit slippery.

But in town, the post-snowstorm scene was quite different: the parking lots at the grocery store and drug store were filled with nasty, dirty slush because of all the road salt that was spread, supposedly for safety reasons.

Not only does the salt wreck your boots and eat away at cars, ruin plants and pollute waterways and poison wildlife, but I find that the slush it creates actually makes pavement more slippery to walk on. So much for safety!

No wonder most Canadians hate winter. I did too until I discovered that when you live in the country, winter is beautiful, and stays beautiful, even after a snowstorm. It's also way easier to clear snow (esp. with a tractor) because there's lots of space to put it, and you avoid salty, dirty, slippery slush.

Another benefit of country living: Because there's no need to look at all fashionable, you can wear boots, a coat, tuque, mittens, flannel-lined jeans and outdoor protective pants, and go outside and stay toasty warm.

And the biggest reason for country gardeners to love winter? You get a rest from weeding and mowing, and there are no deerflies.