As I compose this blog post, it’s snowing outside and the forecast calls for even more snow. That means no work at my day-job. So instead of Googling cures for depression, I’m doing what other professional bloggers do when their kids are at school. I’m writing blog posts.
Snow
We normally expect some snow on the West Coast and with the climate emergency upon us, it isn’t clear what our future winters will look like. Still, with snow accumulations on the ground there is some work to be done. Assuming you can reach your work sites safely.
Snow loads
One obvious job is getting snow off your garden plants. I normally brush off -gently!- rhododendrons, Camellias and boxwoods. Any shrubs and trees that could snap. You can ignore groundcovers, unless you’re out to “milk” more time out of your boss.
Do this work gently because your plants are under snow load stress and they’re more brittle. If you use a rake to brush snow off your plants, don’t be surprised if several tines go missing. We destroyed several rakes in a few snow sessions.
Trees down
When trees fall down after a snow event, it’s more time-sensitive. We had one incident in January and the lucky owner was anxious to get the tree off his cedar hedge. I say lucky because the tree fell right between the two units, not on the building. That was pretty amazing.
So, first we removed the branches and then we used a chainsaw to remove the tree trunk. My helper kept the wood so he could later build romantic fires with his girlfriend.
The owner was kind enough to offer us hot chocolate and it hit the spot. We were cold and wet from brushing snow off plants.
Landscapers are in the habit of cleaning up before leaving their sites but be careful with snow days. If ice-melter is applied to walkways and stairwells, forget blowing.
Unless your landscape company offers snow removal, snow days mean little or no work. If you go out to brush snow off your plants, please do it gently. Downed trees must be dealt with immediately.
Bring on spring.
