10-12 inches of snow... -15°F low

Winter finally came! The blizzard has dumped about a foot of snow on us, the worst in the state. At least there is now an insulating blanket of snow over my perennials before this cold snap came.

Started: 9 'wild' strawberries, 3 rhubarb, and 6 coleus, 12 Columbine, and 3 sea oats. Also, one window planter filled with Lettuce. I'm sick of the critters and slugs eating my lettuce - this year I'll attempt to grow it on the patio or inside.

The plan for trouble spot #1 (electrical box) is shaping up nicely. This will be a tropical approximation, something to give a bit of color to the front yard and hide the boxes.

BEFORE:


PLAN:
You can see the site plan to the right, from an overhead view. The Cannas will block most of the view, with shorter plants layered in front - Columbine, Coleus, Daylilly, Cleome, and Stone Cress. As I said earlier, the goal here is to give a slightly tropical feel to this area, using showy plants with large flowers (Cannas), intricate details (Columbine, Cleome), and season-long blooming. The Coleus provide multi-colored leaves with patterning, and the Daylillies will make a nice low maintenance border for the bed. Given the plethora of fieldstone, the bed will be stacked one layer higher than the photos above, and filled in with mulch and soil. A 2-foot wide path will be maintained at the back of the bed for access to the boxes. This path will be lined with the flagstone or other flat stones, and planted with Irish moss, or creeping Thyme as a groundcover.

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