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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Bondage (But not the kinky kind!)


Snow arrived last Thursday evening, right in time for rush hour traffic. Our first significant snowfall of the winter season saw everyone driving home for dinner at a crawls pace.


In the field behind the house, clumps of snow clung to the stands of wildflowers making them look like a field of cotton.


Clear blue sky were back in time for the weekend.


In the garden, the sedum, that I had never gotten round to cutting back, was sporting flat, white snow caps.


Though it was cold, the sun was warm enough to melt the covering of snow on the roof. Icicles quickly formed all along the eves and began raining ice cold water down on the small garden I have planted at the side of the house.


I noticed with horror that one of my favorite spirea, the one with deep pink flowers, was encased in ice. There is nothing more killing than ice. 


The branches of the spirea, enveloped in ice sleeves, got me to thinking of another scene that I pass by most days- these odd, evergreen sentinels that stand at the crest of a hill overlooking the highway. Wrapped in burlap and bound with rough twine, they are the oddest looking winter prisoners.


Planted by the city of Mississauga in late August, when the heat was on high and rainwater scarce, they already had the odds of survival stacked against them. Now with the arrival of winter, they had been buffeted by the strong winds that sweep over the open landscape. 


The harsh winter winds have contorted and twisted them into oddest of shapes. In the twilight the bound, ghostly figures seem almost eerie.


 The burlap covering makes me think of butterfly cocoons. Hopefully, the evergreen trees will emerge still living this coming spring, after being released from their protective winter coverings.

20 comments:

  1. The wrapped evergreens are very odd looking indeed. I too hope they survive the winter. There has been some gorgeous scenery as a result of our recent snowfall. I understand we're in for more this afternoon so stay warm and travel safely!

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  2. That last image is particularly eerie...that would be a little scary if you were a stranger driving through town and didn't know what they were! Your sedum are beautiful with their snow hats.

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  3. Those burlap shrouds really do look like butterfly cocoons. I don't understand planting something that can't live outdoors in winter without such extreme protection. Wrong plant for that location... was there nothing else hardier that could have been installed there?

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  4. The evergreens, if they had been planted earlier in the growing season, would have been just fine without any need of protection. I would think that burlap shrouds were intended to give them a fighting chance, when the odds were so soundly stacked against them.

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  5. The wrapped burlap trees do look really intriguing. I love how the landscape looks with fresh snow!

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  6. yikes, those trees look like mummified people to me. I'd hate to come across that in the dark. Seems lots of people wrap their trees in burlap here due to the wind. I've never seen such a thing before. Seems like an awful lot of work.

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  7. Great photos Jennifer, especially those penguins wrapped in burlap!

    Eileen

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  8. Great wintery pics Jennifer. Love the icicles. The burlaped shrubs look like 'beings sitting on a hilltop'. Kind of weird!

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  9. Hi! At one glance, I thought I saw the backsides of 7 chicken in the snow. (4th photo from the bottom). Glad to know they are only plants and not chicken with white plasters on them.

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  10. Since we have to do this often for the deer and winter winds, I just had a feeling your title was headed here. Cute title.

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  11. The least winter can do for making us put up with her, is to offer opportunities for nice photographs, such as yours.

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  12. Those burlaped spirea look delightfully fey! It's like a gathering of huddled monks or goblins. I'm also impressed by how much those fields look like cotton -- great photos!

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  13. Hope they survive the winter well. They do must look very eerie at night.
    Love the tittle by the way haha

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  14. Wrapping trees like that could be very fun for Halloween! I hope your spirea doesn't get killed by the ice. It looks very much the same here as it does where you live. :-(
    I wish I appreciated winter more but I'm afraid I just try to get thru it.

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  15. Wonderful winter pictures! The burlap prisoners remind me of the 7 dwarves. I hope they overwinter well. :)

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  16. Those are the weirdest looking trees I've seen in a long time!! They do look like giant tree cocoons. I hope your spirea is ok. Were you able to get the ice off?

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  17. I was only able to cover the spirea to prevent further icing and am hoping for the best!

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  18. The snow on the seed heads does look like a field of cotton! And those burlapped evergreens look like dancing seals or something. Looks too cold for man, beast, or plant to survive! I hope you and your spiraea do :-)

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  19. What gorgeous photos! I especially love the icicles! Great macro shots!
    Thanks for stopping by!

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  20. Great snow pics! Nice to see someone else embracing their Winter beauty.

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