No Waiting, Nancy!

Last year the first snowfall of the season almost didn’t make it to southeast Tennessee. The charming Nancy of Soliloquy had formed a meme for blogs to post about their first snowfall. She had just taken the link badge off of her sidebar when we finally had some white stuff fall on the Fairegarden. We ran after the train, ticket in hand waving in the air while yelling to not leave the station without us. Click here to read Wait, Nancy! This year is quite different.

We are early risers here, getting up and stumbling into the kitchen to prepare the coffee well before dawn. Always. There is a street light right across the street that illuminates the kitchen, helping us find our way to the light switch. Looking out the window over the sink, the view of the muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris, showed it to be covered with a fluffy white blanket. We ran for the camera, after putting the coffee on, and began snapping.

Standing in the garage with the door open, trying not to get the camera wet, (Canon Powershot SX1 IS), we saw that the muhly looked like a tsunami tidal wave. It was still somewhat dark, the camera wanted the flash pulled up, but that didn’t work at all. The grass was fluffy and full, still holding the seed heads. The results were surprising in how similar it looked to the ocean breakers.

Turning to the west, the colored LED lights illuminating the wreath hanging on the garage in the pre dawn, the gardens in front of the main house are fuzzified by the wintry conditions.

Looking straight out we can see the street light still shining on the island bed of the semi-circular driveway. The Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Wells Special’ trio look like stair steps. What is going on with them? Do we need to prune the taller one?

Peeking around the corner to the back gardens, the driftwood from the beach that was planted in the flat bed is a beacon amidst the evergreens and grasses.

Back into the house to warm up and sip some more coffee, we look out the sliders in the addition up the slope to see the Chinese Elm, Ulmus x hollandica ‘Jacqueline Hillier’ mother of the recently planted hypertufa bonsai still holding green turning to yellow leaves.

The black metal pineapple sculpture stands out well in the winter wonderland.

The plantings of spring and summer are still standing in hopes of adding winter interest when covered with frost. Or snow.

Is this early winter precipitation a foretelling of many such garden transforming snowfalls to come this year? Yes, so saith the weather prognosticators.

Frances