Crazy Texas weather strikes again! After a high of 79 F on Tuesday, this happened Wednesday night. Sure, local meteorologists had predicted a few snow flurries in the Hill Country, but temps in Austin, they assured, would hold at 32 F. Banking on over-hype, I brought indoors not a one of my tender potted succulents. Instead I crowded them against the house and threw a sheet over the ones on the deck.
By 11 p.m. excited posts from local friends were scrolling across my Facebook feed, and I decided I’d better have a look. Pulling back the curtains I was astonished to see fluffy snowflakes falling fast and frosting the garden.
Cosmo likes the cold and was eager to explore the change of scenery. And yes, this is a sneak peek of a big change in my back garden: the pond is gone! More to come on that soon.
(Are you thinking about anything besides the pond now?) By early morning, snow had sifted like powdered sugar across the mostly evergreen garden, and we’d dropped to 30 F. Slick with melted and refrozen snow, the deck offered this frosty view at 8 a.m. But soon melted snow was raining off the eaves, and the garden was green again.
It’s nothing, of course, to those of you with real winters. But snow is a novelty in Austin.
Plants with bold foliage, like Mediterranean fan palm, are even more striking with a dusting of snow.
Texas sotol sports a variegated look as snow stripes its strappy leaves.
Benches and tables appear to be painted white.
Ceramic globes wear lacy caps.
Giant leopard plant’s glossy, leathery leaves wear Santa beards of snow, but its yellow flowers seem unfazed. Let’s hope the quick dip below freezing doesn’t faze those tender potted succulents I left outside. We’ll be basking in the 70s again by tomorrow, and spring is still certainly right around the corner.
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