Winter Perennials and Mulch

Just before we had a big dump of snow (and the garden now looks like its portrait), I toured the garden looking for flaws. It was perfect to my eye.? What a pleasure: there were still lingering scents from the artemisias, and other herbs. It looked pretty neat as well.

Tidying is not my forte, but I do try to keep the garden neat enough without it looking anal. I might not cut plants back quite as much next year.? You can cut things too close to the ground, always leave three or four inches above the ground. It also makes nice patterns against the background of mulch.

And mulch I did this year, a bit early but who cares.? I usually wait until there?s hard frost or even a fall of snow to do so. But Larry Davidson of www.losthorizons.ca had some great stuff and he spread it around the back. The front garden had to make do with all the leaves I had on hand.

The greenery of the garden is what gives pleasure right now:? yews and juniper, spruce and cedars of all hues are looking magnificent right now. Love them dearly. And of course the grasses all look pretty dishy as well.

But my favourites are the sedges and the hellebores. They rise above the mud and snow looking positively artistocratic. Carex ?Ice dance? is a particularly nice plant and of course all the hellebores.

I tried to slog out and take a picture of it in the snow but no luck. Camera out of batteries so I?ll add it later.

Do you not love this kind of a winter storm?? I want to stay indoors and cook.

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