First frost!
10 comments
Today was the first day of the year that we have had a frost, and guess who turned the heating off last night? So it was a cold start to the morning.
Looks very pretty with the frost rimed grass and shrubs, but there were so many things that I intended to do before the really bad weather set in.
Having just had a month with workmen coming and going on odd days (none in a run, all odd days) to completely re-do the pond, there is mud everywhere!
First frosts remind you that there are plants that should be moved into frost free quarters, the Geraniums/Pelargoniums that should eventually grow into tall tower plants (will we believe that blurb?), the Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) which is still flowering beautifully and probably the Begonia corm which survived last winter in the garden and flowered madly all year, can’t trust that to survive another winter.
The heather looks very pretty with rimed edges and tiny but beautiful flowers.
Various oddments looking good.
Even the prettily shaped leaves of the Jap. Anemone which I have spent all summer trying to destroy (and can’t) looks good with the frost. Only thing it is good for, I even broke a spade trying to dig deep enough to get some out!
Various shrubs in flower (Viburnums?) one showing prettily against the red leaves of the Smoke bush that I thought I had completely eradicated, moved onto the field as it is so floppy and invasive. But no, there it is.
Nandina in the front of one.
The Fuschias are still flowering, which reminds me the strange looking pink one is not hardy.
Gaillardia still in flower and the pom-pom seed heads are pretty too. Achillea, a pale pink self-seeded in the grass.
And there’s a Hollyhock which is also still flowering.
That’s it for now, I will be writing a blog on the re-vamp of the pond which is at last completed apart from the planting around it.
Anyone else noticed that this site is coming up as ‘not secure’ at the top?
4 Dec, 2018
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Comments
Hi there! Hope the animals are all settled. How are Mr. Gander and his girls?... It's nice to see the plants all sparkles with frost.. I'm always amazed that the fall frosts put things down while the spring frosts bring things on.
4 Dec, 2018
I like a stimulating frosty morning. My OH and the garden don't agree. It's shattering to see a shrub affected by frost. Always think it's a wonder it survives.
Nothing blooming in our garden. Roll on Spring!
5 Dec, 2018
Glad to hear it's not a problem Stera. Trust you to pick on the one plant being pretty that I could do without!
Nice to hear from you Lori, I hope your weather has turned a bit less severe, for you and the deer. Boris, Lily & Gracie are fine, just as greedy as ever and now that the pond is flat to the ground and not a raised pond, I shall have to make sure that they don't come up this way. Gracie and Lily managed to get into the pond when it was a raised edge, now they can just walk in I'd never get them out. Boris especially, as it's 5 ft deep now don't fancy swimming (not that I can) to try to hoof him out.
Fine morning again today - the vagaries of English weather, just damp and very muddy underfoot.
I do like to see the frost rimed on all the plants and trees Eirlys and we do need a bit of frost, but not too bad please! Breaking out the pots of water for the chickens when they are frozen solid is no fun and the peacocks hate the really bad cold and grump in the barn.
5 Dec, 2018
Re the anemones - yes I could do without them as well but you can't help admiring how pretty they are with the frost on them. Rather like Alchemilla mollis - seeds everywhere but wonderful with raindrops on the leaves.
Your peacocks have the right idea grumping in the barn. I go for that, as long as there's a heater in the barn...poor things they are from India aren't they so no wonder they hate the cold.
5 Dec, 2018
I noticed there is still a hollyhock here too. At least there was yesterday. We had a seriously hard frost this morning wich has probably seen them off. But I’ve hardly ventured out today as it was freezing i itially and turned very fast to dark, gloomy and raining. But it is thee d of autumn now, so I will have to accept that gardening is pretty much over for the time being.
5 Dec, 2018
I too like the Alchemilla Stera and don't mind it spreading, it's such an unusual shade of green.
Strange the peacocks don't mind the mud though and come back from a trip onto the ploughed field next door with mud boots on!
I'm still hoping for some reasonable days Karen so I can get out and tidy up the garden rather than leave it like I did last year - full of dead leaves and stalks and weeds of course. Made the start of the year more of a chore getting on top of the fast growing weeds from the year before. Where have I heard that idea before? - Oh yes, it was me the winter before!
6 Dec, 2018
And me....
6 Dec, 2018
So much still in flower. You are so lucky.
7 Dec, 2018
It's nice to have so much interest in the garden at this time of year. The frost doesn't seem to have spoiled much for you.
I don't see an insecure sign on the site.
9 Dec, 2018
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LOts of us have worried about "not secure"but its not a problem. I think its to do with whether http:/ is in the address.
Your anemone leaves are very pretty with the frost on them.
4 Dec, 2018