But for staying out until 3am at a rocking great affair at my brother’s New Years Eve in 2000, I am not a New Year’s Eve party aficianado. The weather can be both challenging and boorish; the after midnight drivers even more so. Some years I would head home at 11:30, and listen to the festivities on the radio in the driveway. But in 2005, nature put on an unforgettable New Years party.
We had hung big gold stars and red modern sputnik ornaments in the lindens on the drive in November-it was a good look. I think ornaments look much better on deciduous trees than evergreens-they can swing free and be easily seen. Rob has a way of casually dressing the trees with lights that at first glance looks like his blood pressure is too low-but a second good look says otherwise. So far, so good. Branches, red and gold-what could be better?
Better was on the way; December 29 we got snow. Not a snow storm-a blanket of snow. It fell softly and steadily all day, and all night, and on into the 30th. Snow souffle-everywhere. All that white fluff changed the landscape completely. I had placed hickory fence poles in each corner of the front pots and wedged a giant grapevine sphere in between them-all in an effort to figure out what to do with some 25 lengths of hickory wood and bark strips Rob had brought over from Belgium. Do you see those curving strips? Truth be known, they were nothing much until the snow came. The snow was beginning to make something substantial of something gestural.
The thicket of linden branches overhead caught a lot of this snow-it stuck and kept on sticking to every branch, top to bottom. Never have I seen branches so dressed up. The hot garland lights shed the snow, and kept on glowing. What was to come had nothing to do with me, and everything to do with the weather. Timing is everything-is it not?
The snow kept coming, amiable and relentless. Slogging through it during those two days was a workout, but late that New Year’s Eve stands out in my mind as the most breathtaking collaboration of electricity, frozen water and landscape that has been my privilege to witness. Happy New Year to you, best regards, Nature.
A nine inch frosting of snow on this concrete table and matching chairs brings their design to the fore in a way a sunny July day would never do. All that white snow ramps up and multiplies the effect of those diminuitive lights-never mind that garland lights eliminate all that useless cord and concentrate the light. Fine, some good holiday lighting technology – the entire shop was in a very special state of reflective illumination beyond my efforts.
The boxwood eventually succumbed, and splayed out from the weight of the snow. I know not to fuss with frozen evergreen branches, but I was wringing my hands seeing this. The older I get, the better I am in not intervening in situations beyond my control. The bugs, the rabbits, the fungus-they get the run of my place. The snow-I have no plans to intervene, only some plans to watch.
Shovelling ten times in three days made it possible to get to the front door. But should this picture not convince you that a landscape, and all that goes with it, would not delight your eye every month of the year, call me. If you cannot believe this is my most exciting New Years ever, you just don’t know me that well yet.
Should you live in a part of the world that has clear skies this New Year’s Eve-lucky you. This picture of the shop at New Year’s in 2006 has the blue moon look-but not the blue moon. This holiday blue moon-so rare. I am sure I will be waking up regularly all night, though my forecast calls for clouds all night long. Hope-that’s the big idea behind the new year, yes? Happy blue moon.
The year’s end always invites reflection on what worked and didn’t work, what I liked and didn’t like-what I might want to do differently next year. There’s time for that, over the winter. But other things come more immediately to mind, at year’s end. As I rarely see a plant or a garden that I don’t like, what sticks out in my mind are those great garden moments. I have had years when my March crocus are so blasted by below freezing temperatures they barely bloom. This year, they were glorious-and glorious for quite a while. The night temperatures were perfect; every day for 2 weeks they were an event well worth the price of the ticket.
My hellebores were similarly spectacular this year. The evenly cool temperatures they liked. I was even so inspired to send away for more from Knott Hill Farms. The sweet woodriff coming on is a good companion for them. I have both of these planted in full sun, not far from the road. They not only perform better in this location than my shadier places, they take fewer years to make dreamboat sized clumps. 
The blooming of the Venus dogwoods however was spectacular. They were in full bloom, loaded with these giant 7 inch diameter flowers, for over a month. I could not recommend this tree too highly. It is happy in full sun, and very hardy. It grows fast, but stays small. It is the first tree I have planted in my yard in a good many years. If I had the space, I would plant great drifts of them, and let the grass grow rough underneath them. 
The morning of July 19 dawned cool and sunny, perfect weather for the garden tour we sponsored to benefit the Greening of Detroit. We had 325 people attend the tour, and 125 for bites and cocktails afterwards at the shop. In addition to all that fun, we raised a good amount for the Greening. It was a perfect garden day.
My favorite time at the farmer’s market begins with sunflower season. Everything is big about them-big size, big color, big heart-big delicious seeds, so loved by the goldfinches. Sunflowers-the name says it all. The summer harvest is well underway.
My summer annuals provide much pleasure to me. I like the planning, the planting, the caring for, the looking at, the deadheading, the watering-I like every aspect of this part of my garden. I do not have the luxury of lots of time to spend in my garden; I work a lot elsewhere. This part I have the time, energy and heart for, every day. Other parts of my landscape have their moments, but the annual flowers provide every day good moments. 
I always have one container that’s all green-I particularly enjoy matching and contrasting shapes, textures and volumes of green. Green-who could live without it? 
We carried this winter snow and ice idea from the outside, inside. We outfitted sonatubes used for forming concrete cylinders into giant candles. A platform set just below the rim was stuffed solid with 10 hour votives in individual glass holders. Single leaves wedged in the center created a flame shape. The guest of honor’s table was dressed in white roses and lilies, and fern curl flames. The overhead flowers make an immediate statement at eye level when guests arrived. This treatment also makes it easy for guests to talk across the table. 
Some parties call for table numbers. We set cotton batting snowballs on tripods of glass drops; this makes an organizational element part of the fun. Formal occasions do not necessarily mean stuffy occasions. 
My client did want some color in evidence-chartreuse she liked. The quality of cut flowers in the winter can be hit and miss, so I stuck with varieties that are readily available, and tolerate winter travel well. Hollywood roses are my favorite white rose, but I need to order them well in advance to get them. White freesia and the white button mum “Green Peas” I can count on. White dendrobium orchids, and chartreuse spider mums are equally foolproof. White ranunculus can be good, and can be equally horrid; if I decide to use them, I order extra.
Glass bubbles in different sizes, shapes, and surfaces were spread on the tables, along with more snowballs. White twigs encrusted with plastic ice gave a little height, and lots of sparkle. 
The chartreuse button pomp Yoko Ono is a cut flower workhorse. So much color from such a small flower. They can be used without water, if need be. The oversized votive candles have water in the bottom-this makes it easy to clean the wax out after the party, and re-use the glass holder.
Silver chargers, and white napkins wrapped in silver ribbon complete the table decor. 
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Winter is setting in here with a vengeance. I am determined to spend more time outside-even though my tee shirt and shorts weather is long gone. Howard and Milo cannot figure out what my problem is-my not wanting to play ball outside our usual three or better times a day. They leap right into winter-literally. As their legs can’t be any longer than eight inches at the most, they know they have to get their speed up, and just plow through. I think my corgis must have a Texas jackrabbit somewhere in their lineage. My habit is to hole up indoors, with my stocking feet on the radiator-probably as I have been poor at gearing up.
No wonder Milo has no problem being outdoors in really cold weather for long stretches at a time. All that hair of his traps air, which warms up from his body heat. I envy him that fur coat. But I am taking a look at my winter garden gear-maybe I haven’t spent enough time and effort to get myself dressed for winter. My first move was to buy 10 mile hike socks from Woolrich. These socks have lots of loops of fiber on the inside; it is amazing how much warmer my feet are now, even inside. Warmer yet are sheepskin lined boots. I was dubious about wearing them without socks-but it works. My main objection to most winter boots-how heavy they are. The lightest-and for my money, the warmest-moonboots. First manufactured in the 70’s, they put a lot of space between your feet and the cold ground. Unfortunately, I am way too old and not nervy enough for the look of these-pity.
De-snowballing Milo is part of the daily routine. That warm fur is a magnet for cold snow. By the time he comes in, he is carrying a quart of water with him-in frozen form. How he puts up with snowballs stuck to his belly is beyond my comprehension. My idea of winter gear is enough layers between me and the cold to keep the snow as far away from me as possible. I have finally learned that layers of clothes protect me from the cold better than a single layer. Whomever the person is who invented fleece, and microfiber long underwear-thanks a million.
Howard doesn’t have half the hair of Milo-maybe that’s why he is so much more sensible than Milo. He has a winter shelter-underneath my moss cow. Even though he has the classic Corgi short coat, that coat is several layers. A dense fluffy undercoat is protected from the weather by a longer more oily outercoat. He must have a whomping lot of hair, as he sheds like crazy. My outercoat does keep me warm, as it is stuffed with a whomping lot of down.
Its obvious from this picture that Howard’s tail will likely never be cold. But his bare feet on that snow-yikes. I take them out for shorter periods, multiple times a day when the weather is like this-his feet and ears do get cold. In this case, I do not mind the look of my wool hat and honking big gloves-they are doing a job. 
The Corgis seem to enjoy being outside in the winter as much as they do in the summer-maybe more. The cold energizes them. The lesson here? When outside, move it. Build up a little head of steam. Can you tell I am trying to talk myself into this winter wonderland thing?
You would never know from this picture that it wasn’t a balmy June day-but for all the white stuff. I am sure how animals of all sorts survive in very cold temperatures has fueled some of the technology that makes for what winter gear is available to people. Trading in a spade for a snow shovel is a little tough to take, but it gets me outside. Once I am outside, there is plenty to see-as usual. I’ve made plans to look more closely at winter landscapes-what they do, and don’t do, and how they could be better.
Today our snow is accompanied by a good stiff wind. I am glad that I was sure to water my evergreens plenty before the ground froze. On a windy 22 degree day, they are loosing precious moisture from the surfaces of their leaves and needles-and have no way to replenish that until the ground thaws. 