On Saturday, Anya's parents were preparing to leave early in the morning. Her father had a business trip to a neighbouring town, and her mother wanted to go with him to have a look around the shops. So early in the morning, there was a gentle knock at the door—it was Zinaida Pavlovna, Anya's grandmother, who had come to spend the weekend with her granddaughter.
Anya lingered a bit longer in bed before deciding to get up. In the kitchen, her grandmother had already baked her favourite pancakes and set out a whole bowl of delicious strawberry jam.
Hello, Granny!
Anya said cheerfully.
Hurrah, my favourite pancakes! I do love it when you come to visit us! What shall we do together today?
Hello, Anya!
Her grandmother replied.
Have your breakfast! The weather forecast says it will be sunny today, so we'll go for a walk in the Botanical Garden. It's especially beautiful there in January!
Anya ate five whole pancakes with strawberry jam, washed it all down with milk, and hurried to get dressed.
The girl lived with her parents not far from the park at all—just two stops on public transport.
Soon Anya and her grandmother got off the bus and headed towards the gates that served as the entrance to the botanical garden. How beautiful it was here—as if you'd been transported by a wave of a magic wand from the big city into another world. The paths were smooth and covered with pristine white snow that had fallen all night long. And there were so many amazing and unique trees here. And the landscape design was absolutely lovely.
Running along the avenue, Anya noticed that a worker at the botanical garden was throwing snow around a tree.
Granny, why is that man throwing snow under the trees?
The girl asked curiously. From birth, she had been very inquisitive, which was true of most children her age.
Why don't you ask the botanical garden worker about it yourself?
Zinaida Pavlovna replied.
I think he'll explain it all to you.
Anya was quite a brave girl for her age, so she ran up to the gardener and asked him a question.
Good afternoon!
She approached the man.
Please, could you tell me why you're throwing snow around these trees?
The gardener, whose name was Nikolai Semyonovich, hadn't expected anyone to take notice of his work—he was even pleased. And of course, he turned to the girl with great enthusiasm.
Good afternoon, young lady. I'll be delighted to answer your question.
The botanical garden worker began the conversation.
There's been very little snow this year, and the nights are bitterly cold. We're worried that the heat-loving trees might not survive the winter well, so we're creating a snow blanket.
What do you mean?
Anya asked in surprise.
You're making pillows for them?
For trees, snowdrifts act like a down duvet. They wrap the root system and the above-ground part, protecting them from severe frosts and icy winds.
The gardener answered with a smile.
And around young trees, we botanical garden workers try to pack the snow down more firmly so that mice don't reach the tree trunks in winter and damage the young plants. Adult trees aren't afraid of rodents, so they just need snow. Snowdrifts are like batteries that create a certain microclimate for trees and maintain a comfortable temperature for the plants. And snow also creates a supply of fresh water that the tree will need in spring.
Thank you very much. You've explained everything so interestingly to me.
The girl said to Nikolai Semyonovich, and she and her grandmother continued their walk.
Granny, we have a lesson on Monday, and I'll definitely tell everyone what I learned today.
Little Anya shared her impressions, and she really must tell Mum and Dad that they should cover all their apple trees with snow at the dacha. After all, they don't know anything about this at all.
