The Last Snow Showers of February
In New York City, February 2021 is now the eight snowiest February on record. Although temperatures are much higher this week - high 30s to mid 40s, there is still a lot of snow and ice left by the month's winter storms.
I've shared many photos of the white fluff across my farm's landscape, but the most beautiful are those images which capture the snow stuck to all the trees, shrubs, fences, and other surfaces. This happens when the temperature is slightly warmer than freezing, which is 32-degrees Fahrenheit or zero-degrees Celsius. The snowflakes melt around the edges and stick together to become big, heavy flakes. Many of us are ready for spring and warmer weather, but the most recent snow showers left the farm looking like another world - just gorgeous.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Here is a view between two of my horse paddocks. On this day, the snow started early in the morning, and then ended as rain in the afternoon with temperatures climbing to the high 30s. While the snow showers lasted, it was truly a veritable winter wonderland.
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- This snow accumulated on every branch but did not weigh any down too much.
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- Here is a view in front of my blog studio. I have four mature Sargent crabapples in front of the studio and Tenant House. Malus sargentii, occasionally called Sargent’s apple or Sargent crabapple, is a species of crabapple in the genus Malus.
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- With four days left to go in February, we’ve already gotten more than 25-inches of snow. This particular storm dropped about four inches before the rain started.
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- One never tires of this beautiful panoramic view of my paddocks. In the distance, behind the ancient apple trees, one can see the roofs of the stable on the left, and a glimpse of the burlap-covered Boxwood Allee in the center.
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- Here is the carriage road that runs past my Summer House and down to the stable. When we plow the roads, we leave about an inch of snow on the top, so the roads still look pretty and the gravel underneath is left undisturbed.
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- The herbaceous peony bed is indistinguishable underneath all the snow.
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- Along this road on both sides are my azaleas – very different looking from mid-May when they erupt with swaths of beautiful bright pink colors.
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- My Summer House is hidden behind the snow covered trees and azaleas. All of these are actually colored photos, but the snow and gray skies make many of them appear black and white.
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- Here is a view looking back from the carriage road toward my Winter House and through the tree peony bed under the carpet of snow.
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- Another stop along the carriage road is this view across the paddocks. Visibility remained pretty clear – one can still see two of the three antique finials atop my Equipment Barn roof.
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- Here’s another look at my Winter House next to my long four-bay carport. On the back of the carport, I hang 20-bird feeders under the eaves, with another several under the pergola nearby – in spring and summer, about half that amount. It’s important that I feed the birds all year long – they depend on it, especially now when there is so much snow on the ground.
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- Just outside the stable is a grove of crabapple trees. These are white with snow right now, but for a short time in May, they are white with fragrant springtime blooms.
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- Here is one of two weeping cherry trees down behind my stable, also covered in snow. A weeping cherry tree is at its best when the pendulant branches are covered with pink or white flowers.
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- Walking back up toward my Winter house is the donkey paddock and their run-in shed. These run-ins are a must for any farm animal. They provide protection from bad weather such as rain, snow, wind and summer heat. I love how snow collects on this antique white spruce fencing in front. This fencing is what surrounds all my paddocks at the farm.
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- Fortunately, the snow did not harm any of the boxwood shrubs this season – everything was covered with protective burlap and strong steel frames well before the snow.
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- This photo was taken from the steps of the Summer House. The footpath and most of the faux bois base for the sundial are completely covered. The new snow covering the old snow drifts and piles looks almost artistic in its form.
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- Here are the trunks of the mighty pin oaks that grow alongside my large Equipment Barn – every branch on every tree is outlined in white with the contrasting dark brown bark below.
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- Looking through the pergola is one of six weeping hornbeams, Carpinus betulus Pendula, on the other side of the Party Lawn and soccer field. These are such graceful and shapely specimen trees, very densely branched and adaptable to various soil conditions. By afternoon, the snow showers turned to rain – washing away lots of the snow-covered branches.
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- The grove of bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, looks stately even without any foliage. The small structure nestled within the trees is my basket house – filled with beautiful antique and vintage wicker baskets.
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- Right in front of the cutting garden is a pair of Kenneth Lynch garden urns also covered in burlap for the winter. The flower cutting garden and the surrounding beds are all covered in white, but soon, we’ll all be busy getting them ready for the planting season. Spring is just weeks away and will be here before we know it.
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