I just spied someone cross country skiing up my block, quite a weird sight in the 'burbs. And though my kids are stranded at their grandparents' house in Florida, the weather is good news for some of my other babies.
Snow is an excellent insulator for dormant perennials, protecting roots, crown buds and bulbs. It also keeps the soil temperature even, which prevents heaving, while keeping the soil moist and ready for spring growth. And the glistening flakes caught on my dried-out ornamental grasses, trees and bare shrubs -- especially the redtwig dogwoods -- makes the garden look like a winter wonderland.
On the down side, we are expecting quite a bit of the white stuff, and that could spell trouble, especially for trees. Be sure to get out there and (gently) brush off snow from the branches of evergreens. (A broom is ideal for this purpose.) Otherwise, the weight of the snow will break them, or at the very least leave them buckled and misshapen. The sorry-looking hunch-backed specimens above are the Leland cypress in my backyard.
Trees like pines and spruces are quite susceptible to damage, and broadleaf evergreens are even more vulnerable. Arborvitaes, which are commonplace on Long Island, don't tolerate snow well at all. Their branches separate and often never recover. If the snow is left on the branches and allowed to freeze icy hard, well, that's even worse.
I know it's cold out there, and you're probably busy shoveling. The last thing you want to do is spend time brushing off your trees. But trust me, it's better than having to replace them in the spring.
