Revealed by Snow
Like a layer of vanilla frosting, snow settles over the lowbush blueberry bushes (Vaccinium angustifolium) in the woods near my Hamptons garden, defining their form. They have never looked more beautiful. During most of the winter, this understory shrub is nothing more than an intermingled mass of gray branches hovering above the fallen leaves.
In late spring and summer, they leaf out and provide a green understory. With adequate rainfall, they remain green all season, but without it, they drop their leaves early, offering no fall color at all. When the leaves do remain, they turn a beautiful burnt orange that glows when hit by the autumn sun.
After last night’s wet, heavy snow, the bare branches stand out better than ever. The snow thickens their profile, making visible the structure that usually goes unnoticed, and the sun lights them up with a quiet sparkle.