As a gardener, I am forced to agree, if for no other reason than there is not much the gardener can do about the weather, whatever form it takes.

Gardeners from Maine to Texas are enduring a snow storm that is being called the worst in 50 years, and when that snow melts, there will be tree and shrub damage aplenty.

Snowstorms do have their appeal, especially to the cocoon side of us. Fireplace fires, hot chocolate, steaming soup, quiet walks through the neighborhood to the home of a friend.

But snow is good for the garden, too. Better for the garden than you think.

Snow actually protects the garden from the cold, and especially from the drying effects of a cold wind. It is an excellent insulator. Snow increases the temperature at soil surface by about 2 degrees for every inch of accumulation, according to the Purdue University extension service.

As the snowflakes pile on top of one another, pockets of air are left between them and it is this air that provides the insulating effect.

Snow not only protects from the drying winds, but it brings needed moisture to plants that will continue to lose moisture through their branches, both evergreen and leafless. And, of course, melting snow feeds the soil, carrying nutrients and moisture.