Snow was predicted.

Several friends were alarmed by the thought.

“What will happen to the plants in the garden?” young Emily asked.

Not much; the snow would cover the ground and protect it like a blanket. Beneath the snow, the temperature would remain at a fairly constant 32 F. Where those icy winds skimmed the snow’s surface, the hostas or peonies below should not be walloped by the blasts.

Be grateful for the snow cover. Remember that the bulbs planted last autumn would not only be sheltered, but would be growing new roots, getting ready for spring. Think of the paperwhite narcissus grown indoors for Christmas: they needed to grow roots into those pots of soil or pebbles before leaves, buds and flowers appeared. It’s the same process that those crocus, daffodils and tulips, under the snow, are going through right now.

Right now, it’s hard to think of all that white stuff melting. When it does, and when the ground is ready to receive it, that spring moisture will be one trigger to start the garden, woodlands and fields into spring growth. (Yes, that includes many of the dormant seeds waiting in the soil — many of them weeds!)

As they thaw, frost and snow will mingle with spring rains, creating mud of course, and in low-lying places, vernal pools. These seasonal bodies of water often show frogs, other amphibians, insects and small animal life, where to lay eggs. They’re not there for fish, because the nutrients needed for such fish are not available in such an area.

That’s part of the snow story. Our parents might have made ice cream or mousse, freezing such treats in snowbanks. Come early spring when sap runs, maple sugar on snow is as seasonal as vernal pools.

Skis, snowshoes, sleds and toboggans add to the pleasures of snow. People with winter birthdays often receive presents for such snowy-weather sports (rather than baseball gloves or pedal-boats).

When going outdoors to prune apple trees or add Christmas-tree mulch to perennial gardens, remember to walk carefully over the snow-covered grass. Some gardeners use boards as paths so as not to scrunch their boot-prints into the lawn.

So, Emily: I hope that now you’ve stopped worrying about snow and the garden. Enjoy it, knowing that it’s helping, not harming the plants.