The first snow day of the year! A few days before Thanksgiving and we are already getting our much anticipated snowfall. It is just beginning however the East side is measuring 29 degrees and actively snowing. Sounds like more is on the way.

I do what I can through out the year in the garden and cut back the down and ugly as soon as possible. Once the snow begins to fall the rushed pace gives way to an easing of tension. You simply can't do much when the ground is not visible and the leaves are frozen into place. Anything that didn't get cut is offered to the wild simplicity of the snowy day. Birds perch on lavender stalks and steal seeds from goatsbeard and tall grasses.

This is sounding like it will be a very cold plunge into winter weather with highs in the 20s tomorrow. That means plants will be hurt by the cold without their snow covering for insulation. It is always the dryer cold spells that kill the plants. so I would rightfully qualify this as a plant killer system.

If you have tender plants in your garden or in containers tossing a light and fluffy mulch on top of them is very helpful. I will often use oak leaves or pine needles and just stack them around the base of plants like phormium.