The calendar may say it's time to turn our thoughts to Christmas trees and mistletoe, but the weather in the northeast has a totally different agenda this year. We're on pace for the warmest month of December on record, which will cause those dreaming of a white Christmas to sigh, wistful for subzero temps and frost-laden landscapes.
The rest of us recall the downside of the cold, ice and snow: aching backs from shoveling, bruised bodies from falling, delayed gatherings due to weather concerns, and soaring heating bills at the time of year we can least afford it.
For the first time in my life I planted something outside in December! When temperatures hovered in the sixties a few days ago, inspiration hit, and I hurried to the nursery, raced past the cut trees and roped pine garlands, and gathered together an assortment of ornamental cabbage plants in various shades of pink and white (pictured above). After toting them home, I had to scout around the shed for my planting tools, but soon I was digging into the soil.
Another upside to the unseasonable weather: my ornamental grasses still look fabulous. Without heavy snow weighing them down, they stand proud and festive, waving their frothy "flower heads" at passersby. Pictured below are miscanthus, but panicum virgatum (switchgrass), which has an even more upright growing manner, will look great this time of year. It will weather the harshest winds, and even stands up to a bit of the white stuff. Chasmanthium latifolium (northern sea oats) has beautiful pannicles that dance on the breeze, and look lovely with a bit of snow covering--but just a bit.
All in all, my philosophy this season is to embrace nature's surprising gift without regret or worry. There will be other years when we'll battle snowdrifts and slick roadways to make it to the ones we love for the holidays. And whether the unusual climate is due to global warming, or perhaps a less sinister El Nino jet stream, we have the added comfort of warm weather to match our warmed hearts. 'Tis the season to rejoice and revel in all the best things in life, no matter what the weather outside our spray-frosted windows.
Wishing everyone the happiest holiday season on record.
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