See that snow-covered little tree next to the already white arbor? That's my favorite plant. That's why it's next to the back gate. It's my personal welcome home every day and the last thing I see whenever I leave. It's hard to see in this picture, between the snow, the fence and the trees across the street. But trust me, it's special. And what is it, you might be asking. I'll tell you.It's Viburnum Macrocephalum. It's a deciduous shrub (in my area) that can grow to ten feet. It doesn't mind shade and it blooms in the spring. The viburnum family is pretty large and I like a lot of them. I have two others, which I also am terribly fond of, but this one, Macrocephalum, is my favorite.
Common name: Chinese Snowball.
Chinese because it is a native of China. Snowball because in the spring, it is covered in bright white 8-inch round clusters of florets.
While out shoveling (yet again) today, I was struck by the humor or perhaps, irony, of my snowball bush up to its midsection in snow. In a more typical March, I'd soon be noticing that the flower buds, that had already formed last year, beginning to swell, change color from dark to pale green to bright white. It's stunning in full bloom. I've actually had people come up to me when I'm out working in the garden to talk about it, admire it, ask for cuttings to take home. Even though they aren't a suitable cut flower and it kills me to do it, I do share. It's nice. Someone knocked on my door once to tell me how much she loved seeing my Snowball in bloom--it reminded her of her grandmother's house.
An aside ... this is one of the benefits of living "downtown" and close to the street ... people interactions and chance conversations.
There was a Snowball in my Mom's garden at our first house in Windsor. It was in a corner of the perennial borders that outlined our backyard. Because it's such a large shrub with more of a tree-like shape to it, I remember I used to squeeze in behind it, hiding out (or so I thought) between the branches and the fence. It was my little hiding spot. In the spring, when the air is slightly damp and heady with all sorts of fragrances from spring blooms to fresh mulch, there was nowhere else I'd rather be than out in our backyard. I remember once as my Mom was making her way around the garden doing the constant chores that all gardeners are familiar with, she shook the branches and the Snowball actually "snowed" its flowers down all around and on me. It was entrancing ... magical.My grandmother (from whom, I suspect, both my mom and I inherited our gardening genes) had a Snowball also. She had a really large yard compared to her neighbors' yards and it was filled with roses, hydrangeas, vegetables and two cherry trees. She also had a real "little house" in her backyard but that's a story for another time. The snowball was in a side bed and somewhat overshadowed by the large old cherry trees. Her well-established and carefully tended garden had that effortless look of having been there for ages. My mom's place has that look too. And maybe mine will too, one day. It has pretty good bones.
I know this seemingly never-ending winter will, indeed, actually end one day soon. And things will turn green again. I will see the grass that has been hidden since early January. And my Snowball will bloom along with the other viburnums and azaleas and peonies and daffodils and tulips and irises. It's just a little hard to picture it today. But I do have these to help me:
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| Viburnum Macrocephalum, May 24, 2014 |
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| Snowball "snow," June 4, 2014 |
