Winter prep

When you live where it snows and have a long driveway bordered with gardens, it is always a smart move to prep for winter weather before it arrives.

Mark usually indicates where the paved edge of the driveway meets soil with some kind of sticks all lined up in a row. That way he know where the snowblower should — and should not — go when the entire driveway is buried in snow. This year he got fancy.

Instead of single bamboo stakes, he used pairs of them tied at the top. He does this same treatment in the garden to keep visitors off work paths or other areas where we don't want anyone to walk. I love the way they look marching down the drive. So much more attractive than what most people do. Given that it could be weeks before it snows, it is nice to be able to look out the window and know this task has been done and that it looks great, too.

Comments

[Lisa at Greenbow]

A chore I would never have thought of, and as you say well done.

[Jenny]

Great idea but one I don't have need to copy. I recall driveways in Montreal that got narrower and narrower as the winter progressed but no snow blower, just a snow shovel. I imagine everyone has a snow blower today but back then they were too expensive.

[Linda Brazill]

That happens here too, over the course of a snowy winter. Our current driveway is 65 ft. long and the last one was about 120 ft. More shoveling than we could do in the morning before work. But the real reason for a snowblower is to help you clear the end of the driveway where it meets the street after the snowplows have barricaded you in! That is a heart attack project without a snowblower. We do use our shovels as well.

[Peter/Outlaw]

A job well done! I do miss the beauty of snow-covered winters but not the work part. Here we sometimes get a bit of snow in the winter but it rarely lasts long enough to require shoveling.

[Loree / danger garden]

Nice work Mark! Of course the idea of snow that tall is terrifying to think about...(for me)....

[Linda Brazill]

Snowy weather is less of a concern now that we are both retired. Just have to be sure not to run out of coffee before a storm. Already have some stew and chili in the freezer. But nothing in the forecast yet which I am enjoying.

[Linda Brazill]

Most years it doesn't get that high in terms of how much snow has fallen. It's the piling up from cleaning the driveway that creates the snowy canyon. We had just over 100 inches in the winter of 2007-08. Very unusual and nothing one really wants to remember. But we do need a good foot of continuous snow cover to protect plants and prevent frost heave.