Thoughts on Boxing Day

My husband claims it's the day the Brits burn their Christmas boxes.  Makes sense, but likely isn't the case.  It is a fine excuse for a winter bonfire, and far safer than stuffing emptied cartons into the parlor fireplace.

Never managing to locate a unified explanation as to why the day following Christmas is coined "Boxing Day," it seems that December 26th is a day of "fill in your blank" celebration--sorely needed after the stress and bustle of the preceding high holiday. 

In England it generally involves horses and fox hunting, but as most urban dwellers no longer have steeds, it has evolved to a day of rest (and maybe some bloodsport shopping) after a

robust celebration of Christmas.

In Ireland and Wales folks honor the feast day of the first Christian martyr St. Stephen, a teacher, historian and orator, who perished in a painful manner.

Legend has it that the term "boxing" evolved from the practice of sending home servants the day following Christmas laden with boxes of food and drink for a hard earned post Christmas celebration.  Back in the Downton days, the help had to work on the 25th so the gentry could enjoy the holiday undistracted by the chores of living. 

In the Mitten, the day following Christmas is best spent outdoors, taking in the wonder and beauty of winter.  After a deep snow, and protracted cold temperatures, a sudden warm snap produced translucent ponds and ethereal fog. 

Thus we have the mist in common.

The evergreen boughs and dried hydrangea heads in window boxes and stone containers still cling to a light icing of snow.  Dried grasses and tall perennials  glow golden in the moisture rich air.  Deep burgundy and bronzed stemmed shrubs balance the evergreens and darkly moist green grass emerging along the frilled edge of the snow covered lawn.

The sun never reared her pretty head, but cool nature had her own warmth.

What makes this muddy time of year so magical for me?  I can't get enough of the moist coldness of the garden and the restful
muted colors of early winter. 

Not a horse in sight, but plenty of deer tracks in the receding snow.

A sort of "outside the box" day, shoring up for the upcoming new year.. Best spent taking in fresh air in zone five, or in the Lake District, on a hillside in Wales, or just outside Chappaqua ...

but always with a loved one nearby.

Cheers!

For the fireside...

Winter Porch Pots ~ Greenery Containers

Winter Weeds and Good Deeds

Pine Needle Drop

They're everywhere this year.  Why are the needles on my pine trees turning brown or yellow? 

There's a thick carpet of discarded needles over the yard.  Does this mean the end for my pine tree?

Not at all.  In most cases, needle drop is a natural part of tree growth and maturity.  Each year evergreens cast off twenty to thirty percent of needle growth.  As the tree expands, its drop becomes larger--to be replaced with fresh growth in the spring.

Newer needles should be at the end of the branch, and older (browning) needles at the crown.  If primarily the tips of evergreen branch needles are brown, the culprit could be disease or insects.  In that case, call an arborist for a consult.

Spruce trees hang onto their needles almost twice as long as pines--five to seven years as compared to two to four.

Needle drop can also signify the tree's reaction to weather patterns which took place during distant prior seasons. Beginning in 2014 there was a noticeable increase in yellow needle drop from white pines located in New England.  The suspected cause was an extremely wet spring the year before, which may have infected new needles with fungal spores, resulting in the drop of needles in the second year.  Most healthy trees will survive such an infection without intervention.

Evidence of tip blight, cankers, or a purple cast to needles warrants a call to the local tree expert.  Most of these diseases can be treated.

More serious is the white pine decline noted in the northeastern United States. This progressive decline is potentially attributable to warming trends. 

Don't get the blower out!  Fallen needles make an attractive mulch, and the price is right-- compliments of Mother Nature.

Here in the land of the giant conifer, a blanket of orange-gold needles hides all blemishes--just like a clean layer of snow.

I don't remove fallen quills from flower beds until spring.  They provide a layer of insulation for tender plants whose roots may be heaved to the surface and damaged by a "freeze and thaw" cycle.  Partial decomposition sends healthy organic matter into the soil in early spring.  As the weather begins to warm, rake away what remains

I reuse this natural mulch in areas that are not immediately adjacent to the house, around the base of trees, or as an alternative to woodchips for pathways.  Its thick consistency is an effective barrier to weeds--and the needles cast a lovely scent when tread upon.

Assuming your pine has healthy green tips and shows no sign of decline or disease, then the thick carpet of needles represents an ever-rotating parade of growth.

More on conifers:

Colorado Pine Beetle-Bad News Bugs

Witch's Broom -- What's That Spooky Bump on my Pine?

Zone Five and a Half: Planting Bulbs: Pay it Forward

Zone Five and a Half: Planting Bulbs: Pay it Forward:
If you can yet poke a shovel into the ground, there's still time to
plant bulbs.  With a few short steps, a bag of bulbs can be quick...