Whiteley Creek Homestead

Although a light covering of snow blanketed the ground for Christmas Day, it wasn't until two days later that our first heavy snow of the season provided the beauty that we anxiously anticipate each winter. The kind that hangs heavy on trees and shrub branches and isn't whisked away by the wind for days.

The tendency, during autumn cleanup, is to cut perennials back in preparation for spring regrowth. However, I choose to leave the stems and dried heads intact to provide texture and form to the landscape rather than a barren tundra. The dried blossoms catch and hold the snow forming fluffy tufts that are reminiscent of peony blooms. There will be time in early spring for trimming old growth.

Throughout the winter, I continue to add fruit and veggie scraps to my two compost tumblers. Even though their frozen state prevents decomposition, in the first warm days of spring, the process begins anew. Nothing is wasted and so much to be gained in the rich, black soil that is created.