Like many of you, we got our first hard frost and some freezing temperatures over the weekend.
While the frost is beautiful and evergreen plants like this fragile-looking native Oxalis oregana seem to take it in stride, for others, it spells the end of the line for this year.
Looks like I only got shots of evergreen plants.
Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'
They say that a little frost only intensifies the colors of ornamental kale and cabbages.
Heuchera 'Forever Purple'
Trachycarpus fortunei
Some hardy fuchsias and the abutilons continue as if they didn't notice.
While the leaves of Tetrapanax papyrifer look like they're toast, the blooms haven't drooped yet. With temperatures predicted to be much warmer for the next couple of weeks, perhaps there's still some hope that they will bloom. Fingers crossed. Still have a few bulbs to get into the ground!
After our one hard freeze (19ºF) it hasn't really gotten below freezing again. We have 30ºF forecast for later this week, but that's only a night or two. So mild!
ReplyDeleteJust a few bulbs to plant still? Me too, if by "few" you mean "all". :)
That is mild, especially for your climate! Really, I only have a about 7 large allium and 10 tulip bulbs left to plant. Everything else got in the ground pretty early this year.
DeleteLove, love, love the look of the frost on the heuchera. The plant may feel differently..
ReplyDeleteThe plant didn't seem amused.
DeleteThe frost does help things die beautifully. I still have a lot of bulbs that should get in the ground too.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we'll have some time without rain and that's not freezing so they'll get in the ground. Pots work too.
DeleteThat heuchera is beautiful with a coating of frost. How cold did your garden get? My hardy fuchsias were completely frozen. I haven't seen then thawed out yet, but they're probably piles of mush, now. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who still has bulbs to plant.
ReplyDeleteThe predicted low on the coldest day was 27 but I'm not sure if we got that low or not. Gotta get that outdoor thermometer put up again. Why do we always procrastinate about bulb planting?
DeleteI was wondering about your Tetrapanax buds, thanks for the visual. Mine in the front garden are droopy and look done. The ones in the back garden are much more like your photo. Here's hoping! (bloomday is only 2 weeks away!)
ReplyDeleteOnly two weeks? Golly, time could slow down or even stand still for a while right now. So much to do!
DeleteThe frost looks especially pretty on the purple foliage of the ornamental cabbage and Heuchera, although I suspect those plants may not appreciate the embellishment.
ReplyDeleteThe Ornamental cabbage doesn't seem to mind at all; the Heuchera pouts but gets over it fairly quickly.
DeleteGood luck with those bulbs! I thought I was all done, but now I might have to move a whole bunch of lilies because of some plumbing work that requires digging up a part of the garden, and I brought some little hardy gladioli from the parents' Michigan garden back from Thanksgiving break...
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that you may have to move the lilies! A gardener's work is never done!
DeleteI'll join the choir in admiring the frosted Heuchera. Tacoma got quite a bit colder then Seattle last weekend; we barely nudged bellow freezing. I did get all (15) daffodil bulbs planted and also have a paper whites blooming indoors for the first time ever. I wonder what to do with those bulbs once they are done blooming. I suppose I'll transfer them outdoors and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteI just forced paperwhites for the first time last year and was told that they tend to decline after being forced, especially in water alone but planting them out might yield a nice surprise! Thanks for singing along!
DeleteI love these frost photos--such a fascinating and visually stunning transition. I'm always amazed by the hardiness of the kales/cabbages and the Fuchsias. I even brought some Fuchsias indoors this year because they were still blooming after repeated frosts. (And they still are today!) I hope your Tetrapanax will bloom!
ReplyDeleteFrost does look lovely and some plants are just tough customers! Fingers crossed for the Tetrapanax!
DeleteI enjoyed the beauty of the frost. Now I'm ready for a bit warmer temps.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteIntersting about your Tetrapanax - mine's the opposite: leaves look just the same, but the flowers are decidedly drooped. Hope yours come out to play!
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping as they're closer to blooming this year than ever before.
DeleteIt's been colder down here for a couple of weeks, the frosty cabbage and heuchera look pretty, but your Fuchsias are really troupers! I want to try digging up two dahlias and my canna that were all in the ground last winter and see if that would make them bloom earlier next year, the canna never got big enough to bloom at all, but I was glad to see it made it through the winter after I mulched it well. But now all that is predicted is rain for quite a while. I hope you can get your bulbs planted, Peter.
ReplyDelete