Bbbrrrrrr!
It’s cold out there!
Frost warnings have been set for the whole of my state, my toes are cold, and the heater is having a bit of difficulty keeping the temperature even.
The last few mornings have been frosty and some plants in my garden are starting to show the signs of frost damage.
Elephant’s Ears have gone ‘mushy’, Impatiens in pots have collapsed and virtually disintegrated before my eyes.
Still, it’s to be expected. Both those plants have originated in much warmer climes so they haven’t evolved to cope with their cells filling up with water, which turns into ice, and collapsing if they thaw too quickly in early morning sun.
The term for plants not being able to cope with frosts is ‘frost tender’.
If you’re aware of any of your plants being frost tender you can either move them into a sheltered position for the duration or cover them with a sheet or even shade cloth overnight, or when a frost is expected.
The aforementioned Elephant’s Ears and a few annuals are pretty much the only things in my garden badly affected by frost, but as I know the Elephant’s Ears will grow back in Spring/Summer and the annuals are often past their best anyway, I don’t really bother too much doing anything special.
I haven’t got any photos of my frost damaged plants, that’s not really the thing to take pictures of is it? So I’ll just use one of my generic pictures of a pretty flower to add visual interest to this post.
Keep warm if you’re here in Australia, and best of wishes to anybody in the Northern Hemisphere who is suffering from heat, drought, and/or fires. I feel for you x
Til next time!
The Flowerpot Pen 