Monday, December 29, 2014

Picture Perfect Holiday

I was in Minnesota over Christmas and just as we were settling down to unwrap gifts winter arrived. While my family ate lunch I headed out for a walk in the woods where the snow hitting the trees created a simultaneous cocoon and unceasing echo chamber. I was in heaven.


The creek had only one place where water was flowing, a steady trickle of a dozen feet or so that vanished underneath the ice:


The next day 4" of snow covered the prairie -- the grasses created this lovely effect:

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous look of snow accumulation within the prairie! I'm still surprised the earlier shot had no snow on the ground this late into the winter, though maybe it's the part of MN and this season's weather so far?

Benjamin Vogt said...

They had a ton of snow in mid November, then it got warm. Winters aren't steady, reliable progressions any more....

Desert Dweller said...

That's what I notice, especially northand east ward. As a former Denverite, everyone is becoming more like Denver! (just hope their semi-arid stays west, though)

Rambling Woods said...

I read your comments about native plants vrs cultivars. I didn't post a comment as I only started gardening 5 years ago...bad idea in middle age. But I went from nursery to nursery looking for native plants and being sold cultivars. It wasn't until I started buying online that I learned the difference. I am slowly taking our yard, removing non-natives and replacing with native. I had no real plan except to plant for wildlife. But some of it looks quite nice and I get to raise some butterflies. In my gut, I think you are right.. Because I worry about what happens down the road.... Michelle... Ps I would hire you in a minute.. Want to visit Buffalo NY?

Benjamin Vogt said...

RR -- two links to get you thinking about cultivars: http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/how-wild-ones-got-it-wrong-on-native-plant-cultivars/?utm_content=buffer5019e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer AND http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/native-cultivars-good-bad-and-ugly/?utm_content=buffer5c3ef&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Fly me out, wine and dine me, and we'll give you a nice garden. Or maybe you'll find someone closer who thinks like me at Beautiful Wildlife Gardens or Native Plants and Wildlife Gardens.

Rambling Woods said...

Thank you for the info. There isn't anyone close even with native plants so I order online. I have met some people who have given me advice and I have books like the one Healther Holm wrote.

This was the first year I actually watched queen bumble bees dig in under our trees where we had added some soil. So cool to see them. I was recovering from cancer surgery and sitting on the deck watching bees on my New England asters and coneflower that I had planted. I really enjoyed it.. yes I am strange. LOL..

Across the pond when we let our land return and not mow it to death, we found milkweed... about 60 plants. One of my neighbors came to bitch at me about not mowing and I showed him the monarch butterflies I just happen to have ready for release. He was amazing. Not enough to stop mowing, but enough to leave me alone....

In the past 4 years we have added about 50 native plants and removed privet and butterfly bushes. Yuck.... Planting spicebush in place of them and then I got to raise a spicebush butterfly..

Michelle...Buffalo NY