This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Sunday, 1 April 2012

April Fool's Frost

After a sunny Saturday, April Fool's Day brought a crisp little frost.

Where I live in Northern Ireland, we can get frost up through the end of May so I have to be careful about planting out tender plants. I usually harden off plants I've grown from seed in May and plant out from the 1st June. Plants pictured are established and have to fend for themselves when its frosty!

Left: Frosted Lupin foliage.
Columbine/Aquilegia drooping (more than usual) from the frost. 
Frosty azalea shrub.
Frosted geranium leaves.
Black mondo grass whitened with frost.
Tulips coming into flower amongst the Honesty - they don't seem to mind the frost.
Palm Sunday today! Enjoy your weekend!
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11 comments:

  1. Sue Garrett1 April 2012 at 01:45

    It comes a shocks to the system after sunny days doesn't it?

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  2. Jo1 April 2012 at 06:30

    The frost does make everything look pretty, but it can be so destructive. I think we've all been lulled in to a false sense of security after the warm weather we've been having, but I've got the fleece on standby just in case.

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  3. HolleyGarden1 April 2012 at 11:44

    Oh, how horrible to look out and see frost on all your spring beauties! I hope it doesn't do much damage.

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  4. elaine 1 April 2012 at 13:43

    The picture of the grass looks stunning all frosted up - I expect the poor old plants don't know whether they are coming or going.

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  5. ann1 April 2012 at 21:19

    I am with you on the dangers of spring frost. Here, we hold off planting tender plants until Mother's day, second week-end in May. Some say May 15. We are having an early spring with cold weather predicted. Guess as gardeners, we just have to flexible, don't we?

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  6. Egretta Wells blog2 April 2012 at 15:23

    I hope you don't get much more of that and that it does little damage.

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  7. Malar3 April 2012 at 00:45

    Hope the frost does not do much damage to your plant! The tulips look like the frost is not a matter for it!

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  8. Malay-Kadazan girl5 April 2012 at 06:56

    Beautiful photos of frost. We rarely have frost here. Our winter much milder than yours.

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    Replies
    1. Linda6 April 2012 at 03:03

      I was worried about my tulips too with the recent frost, but they seem to have bounced back.
      Pretty photos of frosted leaves, tho I'm sure you would have preferred to be taking these in January rather than April.

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  9. Angela7 April 2012 at 15:52

    Your plants are resilient and quite beautiful.

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  10. Rainy Day Gardener7 April 2012 at 21:36

    Hi Kelli, I love the picture of the black mondo grass, frosted. Great lines! We haven't had a frost here since early March, but we've had snow! eegads, the snow in March was crazy. It really slowed the plants down.
    It looks like your spring gardens are well on their way! Cheers, Jenni

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