There is nothing happening in my garden right now… A few Hellebore buds under the snow, and some snowdrops struggling to open. January is definitely not a favourite month of mine, so I am pleased to welcome February and am hopeful that I will see a flower or two before this month is out.
Still, the view from the house was lovely very early yesterday morning as the sun made one of its rare winter appearances…
Photo taken from indoors at around 8.30am
~~~
I thought the world was cold in death;
The flowers, the birds, all life was gone,
For January’s bitter breath
Had slain the bloom and hushed the song.
And still the earth is cold and white,
And mead and forest yet are bare;
But there’s a something in the light
That says the germ of life is there.
from “February” by Mrs. Jane G. Austin
~~~
Have a good February!
🙂
Words and Herbs 
Beautiful snow scene.
Thanks! We have had some more snow and sunshine too today. 🙂
It looks lovely, but so cold.
Yes, I wasn’t tempted to go outside with the camera!
Your garden is beautiful under the snow, but like here, the scene is improved by the sun. We have a very heavy grey sky today – it might even snow!
It’s getting colder and colder now Christina. Hope you don’t get any hardfrosts down your way.
Same to you Cathy! No real snow here as yet, sadly. Further South and to the East but it is missing us!
Perhaps you’ll be lucky this coming week! 😉
Great shot! Love the blues!
Thank you – we often have blue sky to the north and west, without much sunshine.
You are welcome! Having blue sky surrounding you but no sunshine would be difficult.
Not at all! We live in a valley and the sky above us to the north is often blue, while to the south there is fog or misty haze hiding the sun!
Oh… I miss understood.. Sounds beautiful!
Beautiful shot with all that snow. Happy February!
And Monday brought us even more! 🙂
Beautiful photo of your garden in the snow. Snow keeps missing us here, it is sunny with a lovely blue sky, but outside the wind is bitter! We will be staying warm and cosy today, hope you are too.
Hi Pauline. Yes, we are cosy indoors, but it is bitter cold tonight and hardly rose above freezing point all day. A lot of trees will suffer under the weight as there’s a layer of ice on them too.
We don’t see anything happening, but I always think of winter as the time the garden rebuilds its batteries. Rain and snow are softening seed coats, leaves are decaying and releasing nutrients, earth worms are aerating and fertilizing, and roots are growing where the soil temp is above 7 C. The beautiful blue sky and snow are a nice distraction while you wait.
Lovely thoughts Marian. I am enjoying the winter since today, now that it has got colder and the snow has covered all the grey and dirt, AND we have had a fair bit of sunshine between snow flurries!
Here in The north east, it will be a bit longer before spring flowers. We take some comfort in knowing the heavy blanket of snow is helping to keep plants well insulated. We will be happy to see Helleborus thibetanus and the Hepaticas, the first to usually emerge here. Until then, we’ll enjoy the winter landscape.
Yes, the snow is protecting the garden, but a bit of a threat to the trees at the moment as there is a thick layer of icy snow under this last lot. I am also looking forward to the Hepaticas! They are one of my favourite flowers and grow in abundance around us. Have you ever come across some fragrant ones? Always a wonderful surprise! Thanks for your comment!
So true about the snow cover, but yes you are right about the damage the heavy snow, and even more so, the ice that builds up on the trees, can do. We’ve had a couple of early season ice storms that have bent trees right over. We are always concerned about the woody stock we grow.
Happy February to you, too! PS, do you guys have any kind of groundhog forecasting tradition over there? It makes the beginning of this wintery month kind of fun!
Hi Lori. No such traditions here. It certainly would be a nice event, although I do feel sorry for those groundhogs! LOL!
I know, right? No rest for the rodent! 🙂
I’m with you on this one. And Marian brings up some heartening thoughts. Your photos are inspiring; I think I will do the same as it shows the lay of the land and bones of the gardens. Our days have been in the 30’s (farenheit) and nights in the teens…all but the birds are hibernating…the ground is solid rock…we enjoyed a warming spell at the beginning of the month and that seems so long ago. Recently winds from Alberta clippers passing thru even slowed the bird activity; not complaining needless to say, this coming spring will be quite welcomed.
Sounds like you have it colder than us, but a bitter cold spell has just arrived here too. The snow is nice and thick to protect my plants a bit though. 🙂
Lovely to look at your wintery garden through the window, but oh dear, it is so cold at the moment. And we are all raring to get going outside.
I am quite happy to wait another month before doing any outdoor work – except for snow shovelling! 😉
Awesome snow landscape photo Cathy, looks really cold there!
Thanks Michael. Yes, winter at its height! Hope you aren’t getting too much cold and snow.
Cathy I am glad to welcome February as it seems the longest here as winter is still here and will be through March….more snow and bitter cold on the way. For me February is a hard month because our winter is so long and I will see no green or blooms in my garden this month.
I always feel January goes on forever, so February is a nice change! We sometimes see a crocus or two in February, but I think this cold snap will mean it will be March here too before anything dares to poke its head out the soil. The ground is pretty hard and frozen at the moment.
The east coast has its share of snow this year! Cool pic! I’m tired of snow early this year! LOL
The children also seem tired of the snow here already, and we have been surprised that none were out on sledges the past few days! Hope you get a warm spell soon!
The snow is doing a good job of keeping the garden looking beautiful for you. We have had no snow but a lot of rain. No complaints as I don’t want the trees in flower before their time. Amelia
The snow makes everything look clean and tidy in the garden… covers up all the shades of brown! 😉
Ich freue mich auch auf Februar. Finally, overnight we got some snow. But there is still a lot of green to see.
I wonder if you have had more snow since Sunday. It has turned very cold here now. Stay warm Ute!
No snow here in Devon, just frosty mornings. February does feel like we are moving forward.
Frosts can be as beautiful as snow, but I am glad for the extra light the snow brings. Looks lovely under the full moon tonight!
Beautiful mix of sun on snow, it’s amazing how the light can lift your spirits even when the cold is nipping at your fingers, and I’m sure your flowers will be out and open in no time.
I’m also not the biggest fan of January 😉
You’re right there Frank – the light really does make a difference and I am ready for some sunshine too!
Brrr. A chilly scene. Have a great February.
Thanks Dorris. An icy -5 C so far tonight!
February, indeed!!!
And getting colder and colder! 😉