Is All This Snow Good or Bad for Our Garden?

This year's snowfall could be one of the largest in our history. As of early February, Portland's snowfall total had reached 53 inches, 16.7 inches above average. (According to reports, Portland’s average  through that date is 36.2 inches.) While all that white stuff can make for some great skiing conditions, it's a mixed blessing for the Longfellow Learning Garden. It can be beautiful, particularly the morning after a heavy snow as the white crystals cling to the tree branches, but it can also look pretty drab.

If that snow blanket doesn't look so inviting, some experts believe the snow provides insulation that prevents soil temperatures from fluctuating, which can hurt the roots in the soil.

The snow also prevents plants from starting to sprout at the wrong time, according to an article in the Anchorage Daily News. Most plants won't start up in the spring unless they have had exposure to a certain number of days of cold. And with lots of snow comes nitrogen, the most important nutrient for plant growth, which can still be absorbed at low temperatures. 

There may not be a lot we can do for our garden as we wait for the thaw. Then again, there's always shoveling to be done. 

Or you can wait and watch the wisteria seeds, dreaming about the day they will go from this....

to this...