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A pastoral scene near one of our favorite dog parks, including an ice fisherman in the distance on a frozen tributary to the Yahara River. |
Suddenly...it's winter!
We've already broken two "winter" weather records near Madison, Wis. On November 29, we received nearly 12 inches of snow in 24 hours--the snowiest November day and the heaviest single November snowstorm on record!
And now it's very cold: On December 4, the high temperature was 16F/-9C and the low was around 0F/-18C. While these temperatures often occur in January or February here, they're far below normal for December.
Right after the big snow, I thought I'd go out and photograph some winter fruits--they're so interesting and colorful framed in white. But the bitter cold and heavy snow limited my choices in our garden. So I'm including a few fruits from plants in the sunroom, and another observed during a recent dog walk:
Frosted drupes on Cranberrybush Viburnum (V. trilobum);
A snowy cap for Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina);
Wind-scattered Crabapples (Malus spp.) for bird snacks;
Poisonous, drying Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) berries, ready to be clipped;
Ripening Fuchsia 'Marinka' berries, almost ready to harvest;
And bright, cheerful American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) along the trail.
I couldn't resist sharing this special message created by a fellow dog lover at the park. ❤️
I'm linking in with Jim's "Six on Saturday" meme over at Garden Ruminations.
Those are so beautiful! All I have is frost. We may get a bit of snow later in the season. It's pretty, but I'm glad it doesn't stay! I lived in snow one winter.
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa: The colorful fruits really pop in the white winter landscape. I guess it makes winter interesting. I wish I could garden year-round, but the snow scenes are pretty. Some years, the snow comes and goes, but this winter it will be sticking around at least through Christmas. Then we'll probably have a melt at some point, followed by waves of snows and thaws until March.
DeleteIt is beautiful. I love the bittersweet.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Phillip. The color of the American Bittersweet really pops in a winter landscape.
DeleteThe photos are beautiful with that layer of ice around the berries/fruit. You must be really cold right now, given the polar blast that's forecast for the entire northern United States.We could see this intense cold return to Northern Europe in about 10 days, accompanied by rain and wind...
ReplyDeleteHi Fred: Yes, we are very cold now, with more snow on the way tonight and at points throughout the week. It looks like we'll have a white Christmas, anyway. I hope the winter blast won't be too rough for you. Sometimes a cold wind with rain feels worse than a dry, sunny, snowy, but calm day.
DeleteHow lovely! Hope you are all snuggled up in the warm. I love the bittersweet best, just like a wonderful Christmas tree decoration.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gill. We are staying inside as much as possible. When we go out or walk the dog, we certainly bundle up with many layers of clothing, coats, and boots. Happy Holidays!
DeleteBeautiful shots, Beth. I love sharp contrast of the orange bittersweet and the pristine white background. The snowy landscape is very photogenic but I couldn't help shivering at the thought of those temperatures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kris. :) I know what you mean about shivering--we're doing a lot of that lately. I'm glad we have a warm house to return to, and coats, boots, scarves, etc., to keep us warm when we have to go out.
DeleteOh my goodness, that's cold. A good thing you have your sunroom. Lovely berries against the snow.
ReplyDeleteYes, the sunroom is a blessing! I don't spend much time out there this time of year because we close it off from the rest of the house. So it's partially heated by the furnace, and then by the sun on clear days. But the temps hover around 50-60F during most of the winter.
DeleteSome lovely berry photos! I've never seen those Fuchsia berries before.
ReplyDeleteHi Kathrin: The Fuchsia berries aren't very sweet, but they're tasty for a little snack. My husband seems to lke a handful now and again. Once they're all harvested, I cut back the plants, and then place the hanging pots back outside from May to the first frost in October.
DeleteSnow! The Cranberrybush Viburnum berries look wonderful. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, the snow is ferocious and plentiful so early. I hope we'll have a few breaks from it in January and February. If not, it will be a very rough winter.
DeleteAbsolutely beautiful photos of the snow! I especially love the berries in the forefront. A whole foot of snow, that's amazing.
ReplyDeleteThank you. :) The berries are so fun to view framed by the snow. Yes, the snow is thick so early this year, and we have more on the way tonight.
DeleteBrrr! You are cold! Loved the photos, especially the Fuchsia 'Marinka' berries and the dog message! Stay warm, I hear hot cocoa is good for that! :) Tina
ReplyDeleteHi Tina: Yes, too cold. ;-) We had a little break with the temps, but the snow keeps coming, and more brutal cold is forecasted off and on in the next 10 days. OK, thanks for the hot cocoa suggestion--I think I'll go get some...
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