Garden Photo of the Day

Frosting the Garden

The Northeast has had an unusually warm fall, so autumn colors never really came on strong. Then, suddenly, frost. The Fine Gardening editors, being always on the job, snapped some pictures on that first frosty morning to show us that frost can be fun in the garden. And it was a good thing they shot these photos because the next night: freeze. Hard freeze. Enjoy!

A random rose by the roadside now has a white edge to its bloom.

‘Moonshine’ yarrow (Achillea ‘Moonshine’), which had ceased to be interesting suddenly became noteworthy again.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) always looks great this time of year.

Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) – frequently raved about on our podcast – never had a chance to show off its golden fall color.

Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), like the bluestar, never got to turn. The foliage turns a gorgeous mahogany brown. Usually.

Many gardeners would pay a lot of money for a peony (Paeonia spp. and cvs.) with white-edged leaves. So, for a few hours one morning, someone had a true gem in their garden.

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Comments

  1. tennisluv 11/15/2017

    Lovely frosty pictures. In North GA we finally got some fall color, but it came and went in the blinking of an eye. But no frost in our area yet to tinge the remaining flowers and leaves with white.

  2. Maggieat11 11/15/2017

    Perfect time for the camera. The photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

  3. poest 11/15/2017

    Fabulous theme. Kudos!

  4. user-4691082 11/15/2017

    Beautiful photos!

  5. User avater
    meander_michaele 11/15/2017

    Hmmm, I wonder why these pictures got me thinking about delectable sugar dipped goodies from The Great British Baking Show? The rose certainly looks like it could make a contribution to one of the creations called a Show Stopper. Ha, now I've gone and made myself hungry!

    1. user-7008735 11/15/2017

      I thought of baking, too! Here's a birthday cake I made for a friend on the weekend: Jack Daniels chocolate cake covered with Callebaut white chocolate icing. I learned to make the roses from watching my dear old Dad who used to decorate all our birthday cakes.

      1. User avater
        meander_michaele 11/15/2017

        That's a beauty of a cake and the roses are exquisite. What a lovely family tradition you have carried on with being talented enough to add such artistry to your decorations. And, oh, my, those ingredients sound delicious and kind of exotic (and I live in the home state of Jack Daniels). Trust me, I am going to google Jack Daniels chocolate cake right after I click post.

        1. user-7008735 11/15/2017

          Thank you very much! I'm not as fast at making the roses as my Dad was, but I do enjoy it when I have time. You're in Tennessee? Jack Daniels goes really well with chocolate. I like to use Belgian chocolate in my baking.

      2. User avater
        meander_michaele 11/15/2017

        OK, Lorraine, I'm back after doing a little google recipe reading. Lots of different approaches with, of course, the two constants being Jack Daniels and chocolate. I just might have to give one try. Mine won't have beautiful roses gracing the top so maybe I'll go extra heavy on the icing.

        1. user-7008735 11/15/2017

          The roses aren't too hard to make with a little practice. I use Royal Icing for the decorations which look pretty but are kind of hard and very sugary, so not the nicest to eat. Well, children like to eat them. You can find lots of YouTube videos online which demonstrate how to make roses and all kinds of flowers. You can also order the piping bags and tips online, but I think Michaels probably carries them. You could use winter pansies to decorate the cake top, but really, a Jack Daniels chocolate cake is good to eat whether it's decorated or not! Enjoy your baking day.

          1. User avater
            meander_michaele 11/15/2017

            Thanks for the encouragement on trying my hand at creating the roses...yay, for youtube. The first recipe I pulled up had chocolate icing and I have to admit that the featured picture was pretty decadent looking because it was just a single cut piece that had the icing dripping down onto the cake part. I like your idea about pansies...they could work on any kind of icing.

      3. user-6536305 12/28/2017

        Wow Lorraine, such a beautiful cake. So lucky to have such a talented Dad to decorate all your birthday cakes.

        1. user-7008735 12/28/2017

          Thank you, Lilian! Dad also made the world's best cinnamon buns. He loved to feed us and was unusual for his time in that he made all our school lunches and did the grocery shopping. He and my Mom were a great team!

  6. Chris_N 11/15/2017

    Frost on plants can be so ephemeral. You run to grab your camera and when you get back, it's gone! Great photos!

  7. User avater
    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 11/15/2017

    Despite being a harbinger of cold days to come, frost is definitely beautiful and worth stopping to take a look. Nice.

  8. cheryl_c 11/15/2017

    Beautiful pictures, and with them, a reminder of the endless turning of the seasons. Our beauty berries have frozen and thawed several times now, so the other morning, a flock of robins sampled some, and were arguing with each other about property lines!

  9. sheila_schultz 11/15/2017

    Frost is so fleeting which is why it is very precious. I always want to touch the delicate crystals but hesitate knowing that if I do they will instantly disappear. Great shots!

  10. Sunshine111 11/15/2017

    Loved the uniqueness!

  11. user-3565112 11/15/2017

    Thank you for the beautiful photos. They've made me aware of another aspect of seasonal change that I,ve never noticed & will appreciate in the future if lucky enough to catch it at the right time.
    Thank you & good luck, Joe

  12. user-7008735 11/15/2017

    Gorgeous! I love frost and glistening water drops catching the light after a rain shower -- on different days, of course.

  13. user-7008585 11/15/2017

    Beautiful! Another beautiful thing is when the plants get sheathed in ice - the only nice thing about an ice storm!

  14. greengenes 11/16/2017

    Frost is something we havent had much of here in the pacific northwest. But it is coming for sure. These are so beautiful pictures and has given me a reminder of whats to come! Thanks!

  15. user-6536305 12/28/2017

    Could not belief that frost could be this beautiful on plants. Beauty is all around in the garden and we just need to slow down and take a deep look.

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