Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Merry Christmas - 2012

Merry Christmas everyone.
As you can see in the above picture we have had quite a bit of snow. We were so blessed not to receive this until early this morning. I am hoping that like us most people got their presents opened and returned home to be safe and sound before the snow moved in. 
This huge white lump is the pyracantha that is featured in my header photo. The snow has it all weighted down. I hope the birds can get under the snow to dine on the berries.
It all depends upon which tv station you listen to as to how much snow we had. I am inclined to believe what I see here in the drive. Eleven inches is the official reading by the weather channel, so far. 
My Dearly Beloved and I got out and shoveled the snow out of the driveway so we can eventually get out onto the public streets when we have to. 
I also went out to shake the snow off of some of the shrubs that were overwhelmed. We don't often have such huge amounts of snow. I was wondering if I was doing the right thing by shaking off the snow. It hasn't been too cold today. The temp is hovering around freezing. The wind is picking up and it is supposed to get pretty cold tonight.
A fun thing to do when you can't get out is feed the birds. We have a whole lot more birds at the feeders today. I got a new bird for the garden today. It is a Rusty Blackbird. Do you see the yellow eye on the bird in the center of the picture?  These blackbirds aren't typical garden birds. They hang out in big groups in fields and around swampy areas so it was a treat to see one here. 
Inside it is all warm and toasty. My 'Black Truffles' begonia is starting to bloom. I was so surprised to see these little polka doted buds. 
They are so small and delicate. They pop open to reveal a begonia-like bloom. 
I hope you are all enjoying the holidays. 



25 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas and best wishes to you in the new year! that really is quite a load of snow in one lump. I would gently shake off some of the shrubs too. Using the soft bristly end of a broom works good for just releasing some of the load so the branches don't get overwhelmed and snap.

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  2. Merry Christmas to you too, young lady!!! That amount of snow is just so amazing for me to look at!!! I can't really imagine that kind of environment! Freezing, yikes! I would have to have my pantry stocked up with hot chocolate and soup makings, for sure! That part would be extremely enjoyable! Well, the birds tooo!!! You got a neat surprise visitor! Your poor bushes outside, it is hard to watch them so weighted down!!! The begonia you show is absolutely enchanting! The two (one red, one white) that I rescued half dead, are really beautiful now...both colors in one pot. I need to show a pic! God bless you, nad stay warm!!!!!
    xoxo- Julie

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  3. Your begonias are beautiful and provide an interesting contrast to the snow! Said snow arrived at our doorstep early this evening and is tapping our windows and cleaning our landscape as I type and wonder what morning will look like. Your ruler gives me an indication!

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  4. Hi Lisa. I think we got about nine inches of snow this morning thru early afternoon. I cleared off my driveway and then the snow plow went by so I had to clear off the bottom part again.

    On the shrubs, the general rule of thumb is to leave them be under the snow, unless the snow is so heavy it might break some branches. With a foot of snow, it was probably a good idea to gently remove some of the extra snow.

    Stay warm, stay safe. It was a blizzard, after all!

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  5. Merry Christmas! Boy, did you ever get a good dump of snow ... more than we've had the whole season!

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  6. That is a snowy Christmas! Here, it is mild.
    Thank you for the cardvthat arrived yesterday. You too made my day :)

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  7. It all looks far too cold for me.

    And, no, I am not a robot.

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  8. So that is where all the snow went! We were forecast to have a blizzard, too, but all we got was wind and a few flurries. Your garden does look lovely all dressed in white, though I don't envy you having to get out the snowshovel. I'm glad you were able to enjoy Christmas and get home safely before the blizzard hit. I hope you're staying home, snug and warm enjoying that pretty begonia and watching the birds from the comfort of your living room.

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  9. That's a lotta snow! There are two schools of thought about brushing off heavy snow loads from shrubs. One school says it does more damage, breaking off branches in the process (I've had that happen). The other says you need to free them from the weight. Not sure which is better!

    Enjoy your snowy holiday and bird visitors!

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  10. Merry Christmas, Lisa! Wow, you do have the snow. We have a couple inches so officially we did have a white Christmas. I loved the comment about the official weather station in your driveway. Stay warm.

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  11. I'm so jealous of your snow! I hope we get a decent one this year. It we do it will most likely be February or March. :0( Not even a flurry here.

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  12. It is funny how different our snow was from the same storm. We had less snow, (4-5 inches), and it didn't cling to the trees like your snow did! Most of it is melting pretty quick in this lovely sunshine today!

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  13. What a difference a snow makes, made stunningly clear by the pyracantha's before and after images. Enjoy the exercise and wonderland.

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  14. Wow, that's some snowfall! I agree with Sandy, some interesting contrasts here too.

    Happy New Year Lisa!

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  15. Wow... yes that is a serious dump of snow you have here, Lisa! Hope you had a good Christmas and that the storms we've seen in the news haven't hit you there. Stay safe and warm :-)

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  16. Ahh I have never experienced real snowfall !!!

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  17. Dear Lisa,
    11 inches of snow is lots of snow for one event!
    We are in such terrible drought that 11 inches sounds like a lovely Christmas gift! So glad you and yours are safe and warm.
    A new to your backyard birdie! I am always on the lookout for a new to us visitor too. With climate change and crazy weather I think anything is possible.
    Merry Christmas and a most peaceful of New Year's.
    Sherry

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  18. Wonderful photography ~ love the little birds and the snow and all of it! Great post ^_^

    (A Creative Harbor ~ aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^)

    Thanks for coming by ~ love having you visit ^_^

    Hope to find a way to follow your blog ^_^

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  19. PS ~ am your latest follower on GFC ^_^

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  20. Lisa, that's a lot of snow! We got a very manageable 4 inches on Christmas Day and counted ourselves lucky.

    We tend to get heavy snows so I think you did the right thing brushing off some of the branches. I've had lots of broken limbs when I didn't, and one particularly heavy snow bent my Rose of Sharon so bad it was permanent damage and had to be cut all the way back. Love your bird feeding photo!

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  21. Lisa girl I think we managed to surpass you with the snow fall finally ! .. It looks so gorgeous and pristine out there now : )
    Love seeing all the birds and that sweet begonia!
    Have a great NYE and a fantastic New Year 2013 .. year of the snake .. may you only have the best of health and prosperity and no actual snakes?LOL
    Joy

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  22. When the snow gets that deep I usually brush it off, especially if the branches are bent to the ground. My smallest Hydrangea got snow pruned last year, as half of the branches were broken off from the weight. When I went out to remove the foot of snow we got this year from some of the shrubs, that same Hydrangea had lost another branch from the snow. My other shrubs and Hydrangea are holding up much better.

    Happy New Year.

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  23. That begonia is so cheerful. Such a pretty color. Here's wishing you a very Happy New Year!

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  24. Snow is where it should be this time of year, protecting the garden. Thanks for sending it east. We have about the same amount and it makes the days so much brighter. Happy New Year's Eve to you. I wish you the best in all endeavors for the coming year.

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  25. Lisa, wishing you a Happy New Year in the garden in 2013! Hope to see you in San Francisco for the Fling!

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