A Bit of Snow

Now that there are a few inches of snow covering the labyrinth, the pathways are obscured, and the only structure is provided by plants still visible above the snow.

The first picture is taken from the same place as the picture in the previous post.  The sense of flow and pattern that is provided by the lines of the flower beds in the grass has disappeared.  The mixed shrub hedge at the back of the labyrinth is visible, as is the hedge along the road on the right side.  But the rest of the bushes and grasses appear to be randomly scattered around. This shows the need for a good sized evergreen near the entrance of the labyrinth, in the large expanse of snow in the front right corner of the photo. 

From a different angle, also matching a shot from the previous page, some more of the nascent patterns are visible. There is the distinctly curving line of the boxwood, planted in the Spring of 2009, that flow into the herb section.  Even the back boundaries are more clearly marking the edges.  As all of these evergreens grow more together, closing the gaps, they will provide much more structure for the whole garden.

Yet, we do not plan to fill all beds with evergreens or grasses.  That would be too formal, and would crowd out the many perennials that create their own textures and colors during most of the year.  Seeing it this way is both startling and refreshing.  The dominant pattern is eliminated by a very light layer of snow.  .

Finally, here is some "inside snow," the snow village that David creates from pieces he has collected over the years.  The fences are made out of toothpicks when he was sick as a child.  This is a small part of the eight foot long strip that wraps around the corner of the kitchen.  His hope is that it is high enough to be out of the reach of his soon-to-arrive grandson, Sam.  But, there is a tall stool that sits nearby, so we will see!

Merry Christmas to you all!