The South West is usually one of the mildest areas of the UK.
We’ve seen snow lingering on the high moors in the distance but the fleeting showers nearer sea level stayed on the ground less than a day.
Frost is a more frequent occurrence and it too has a special beauty.
![Rose frosty 004 Wm[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Rose-frosty-004-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Frosted rose
The effect on foliage is stunning.
Ice crystals outline the shape of leaves..
![Ivy frosty 001 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Ivy-frosty-001-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Ivy and oak leaves
![Hellebore frosty 002 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hellebore-frosty-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Hellebore, Dianthus foliage and more ivy
Frost brings texture to the fore..
![Papaver 'Checkers' 003 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Papaver-Checkers-003-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Papaver ‘Checkers’
The hairy leaves of the oriental poppy
![Pulmonaria frosty 001 Wm[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Pulmonaria-frosty-001-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Pulmonaria too
![Frosty stone 001 Wm[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Frosty-stone-001-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Be it ever so humble: moss
![Geum frosty 002 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Geum-frosty-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
A Geum pulls on a fur coat
![Skimmia japonica 005 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Skimmia-japonica-005-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
And Skimmia leaves appear felted
Frost gives colour hidden depth..
![Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze' 003 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Heucherella-Burnished-Bronze-003-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Heucherella ‘Burnished Bronze’
![Ajuga reptans 002 Wm[2]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Ajuga-reptans-002-Wm2.jpg?resize=481%2C634&ssl=1)
Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’
![Ophiopogon nigrescens 003 Wm[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Ophiopogon-nigrescens-003-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Ophiopogon nigrescens
![Sedum spurium 003 Wm[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Sedum-spurium-003-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Some take on an unearthly appearance
Sedum spurium
![Fern frosty 002 Wm[1]](https://i2.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Fern-frosty-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
And some just look like they’ve seen a ghost
Frosted fern
![Frosty stone 002 Wm[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.rustyduck.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Frosty-stone-002-Wm1.jpg?resize=1100%2C733&ssl=1)
Magic, eh?
Linking up with Christina’s Garden of the Hesperides for Garden Bloggers’ Foliage Day.
Click through (here) to see how Christina and many other gardeners are using foliage this month.
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Wow! Jessica, that image of the fern took my breath away! All of the images of the frost are wonderful; I was almost shivering while looking at them. thank you for joining GBFD this month and with such spectacular images. Christina
Thanks Christina. It is good to be back after going awol last month.
I’ve just done a very similar post for today- frosty here and lovely too!
It’s so pretty, just wish it didn’t have to be so cold!
You have obviously had it much colder than we have. Fantastic photos, especially of your Heuchera and the ferns, they are all so beautiful!
-3 has been the lowest so far this year, but tonight might top it I reckon. I wonder if the river being so close means there is more moisture in the air so we get the hoar frost more readily.
Awesome images that more than make the Winter garden bearable.
Hi Sue and welcome to rusty duck.
I have to confess to not liking winter very much. It’s days like this that do make it bearable.
I felt myself shivering more and more as I went down the post. Lovely photos. I especially like the fern one
It’s been really cold today. Perhaps because Mike decided today was the day to drain the central heating system. Renovating is seriously overrated.
gorgeous frosty photos … hope all the plants survive that cold
I hope so too, but they should be OK. Cold is a relative thing, it’s much worse where you are!
Pictures like Paintings. You have not often frost, yes? We have snow in the moment, and my flowering cyclamen are under it.
Sigrun
Oh your poor cyclamen! It doesn’t drop below freezing as often as most of the UK, but we do have frost. It’s been down to -10C since we’ve been here.
Lovely frosty photos, hopefully gets rid of a few more slugs too!
Amen to that!
Everything looks gorgeous in the frost doesn’t it. Suddenly I find I’m looking at everything in minute detail, it’s wonderful. No frost here today though, just dampness. CJ xx
Feels like it’s going to be really cold tonight. We might get more frosty scenes tomorrow. And then it gets warmer. No bad thing either 🙂
Love how your perennials actually stay all seasons!
Over here…..they die back to nothing, and then emerge when the soil warms up….
Beautiful frosty pictures….
Still darn cold over here…but no snow on the ground right now!
Enjoy your day Jessica!
Cheers!
Linda :o)
Some of them stay, but not all. Keep warm Linda!
Magic indeed.
Its amazing how a few hundred miles make such a difference. Of those that we have in our garden all die back completely for the Winter. We have snow too 😉
The perennials that stay are looking pretty tatty by the end of the winter. We may get snow yet!
Stunning photos – especially the one of the fern. Gorgeous as the frost can make things appear – I won’t half be glad when it’s all gone and spring has sprung!!
I’m with you on that. The bright frosty days are one thing, but for the most part winter is just cold grey and wet and I hate it.
Frosts certainly impart a special and unique kind of beauty to plants Jessica 🙂
They do. And thankfully in most cases the plants bounce back.
That looks a really heavy frost. Wonderful photos – especially the twig at the top and the Heucherella. Our garden is similar today – we have had snow showers, but today everything has turned to ice.
It doesn’t actually get that cold, I think it’s because we are close to the river, the air is moist and even the slightest frost turns everything white. As soon as the sun comes up it all disappears, we were racing against time to get the pictures.
lovely frosty images, especially the frosted fern. We have had a few fleeting snow showers here, but no snow has settled. Lots of frosty mornings though – gives our allotment cabbages a strange, crinkly texture.
Thank you. Only one morning of snow and it didn’t last long.
I’ve tried commenting on your blog, but haven’t been able to recently. The comment box has gone?
I have removed it because I found that I was constantly comparing my low comment tally to everyone else and feeling that my blog must be unworthy, Silly, I know, but I feel a burden has somehow been lifted. I am so grateful for all the comments that you made Jessica, and hope you will continue reading. Have a lovely weekend!
Your blog is still young Ann, it does take time for people to find it. Your images are stunning and will be a wonderful record to look back on in months to come, whether you choose to take comments or not. Far from unworthy!
Gorgeous photographs Jessica!! wish mine were half as good, keep them coming. L A x
Thanks Anne.
Your photos are so beautiful. I am amazed at the variety in the frost, it develops in so many different ways and I never realized that until seeing your photos. Thank you for sharing.
It seems to do different things to different plants, and others don’t seem to be affected at all! Thanks Jennifer.
I love what frost does to foliage. You’ve captured some beautiful images. Thanks for sharing them.
Thanks Alison. It’s when the foliage turns to mush I don’t like it.
All beautiful photos, I think the ‘humble moss’ is superb.
It really brings out the texture of it, doesn’t it?
Frost really defines leaf shape doesn’t it? One morning a while ago when driving to work one morning I had to stop to take a photo as the lane I was driving down had been changed into Narnia courtesy if a hoar frost,
I love it when that happens. A magical new world.
How lovely, I do enjoy seeing how frost affects everything….so pretty. Btw….I seem to have gremlins again….I haven’t been receiving email notifications of your posts for a while….I can’t see where to follow so I can check if I’m still subscribed….where is your follow? I am having hastle on eblogger too….suddenly it doesn’t recognise me! Sighs….xxx
I checked and you are still subscribed, via WordPress. For me anyway, the follow box appears when you click in the comment box. But you’re right, it should be more obvious. I’ll find out how I put a follow button on the main page. Sorry it’s causing a problem.
How strange….so I wonder why I’m no longer getting email notifications of your new posts….bloomin’ gremlins!! Well….I’ve clicked the notify button so hopefully that’s fixed. xxx
I’ve added a subscribe box now, to the bottom of the page. If it isn’t fixed will you let me know again? I’ll try and find out what’s happening.
Beautiful images. I agree that frost does create a magic all its own. We’ve had far too little of it in my garden this winter.
Thanks Dorothy. It does create a beautiful scene, it’s the cold I don’t like so much! Part of me would rather have your floriferousness, if that is a word!
You took good advantage of the frost to create some lovely images. I especially like the fern and the moss, but all are interesting.
The fern was really beautiful. It’s so fleeting though, we have to be out early to catch moments like these.
You’ve done well to escape the snow Jessica. Beautiful photos. My favourite is probably the ivy and oak. Frost certainly adds an extra dimension!
I’ve been watching the weather forecasts and seen that you got it quite bad. The delicately outlined leaves are my favourite too.
Wonderful photos! We haven’t had much frost this winter – here’s hoping it stays that way!
Getting warmer this weekend apparently, as long as that doesn’t mean rain 🙁
You really have caught the beauty of hoar frost.
Thanks Alain. It does have great beauty.
Absolutely loved your photos, I have been waiting to take some frosty photos in my own garden but I haven’t had any frost yet! Well, it has dipped slightly below minus twice so far this winter but not enough to make frosty leaves, and by the time I have got out if bed, any sign of frost has been gone anyway.
You do enjoy a very unique microclimate Helene. On balance, I would rather have your blooms!
Such gorgeous pictures – you captured each so well. So much so that I don’t normally go for Ophiopogon nigrescens, but you made it look amazing. I’m torn between the alien sedum, oak & ivy, and the fern for a favourite. Oh all of them! Wonderful!!
The chalky black of the frosted Ophiopogon is lovely isn’t it. I wish I had more of it, it spreads so slowly for me. It makes a great contrast plant for just about anything.
Moss is a very under-rated creature, I think. It reminds me of living velvet.
I love it on rocks. We have a wren in the garden that has discovered some really tasty things live under moss. Great clods of it are being turfed off the roof and into the gutters. Not to mention the moss I was carefully cultivating on stones and rocks.
Love this take on foliage day Jessica, having time to stop and stare is one of the joys of winter.
It certainly is. Even if you do need your thermals on to do it. Thanks Julie.
I love the opiophogon and the fern – isn’t it amazing they survive this?
It never ceases to amaze me Freda. Especially things like the fern that look so delicate. But bounce back they do.
Lovely uplifting photos – everything looks so wonderful in its frosted state:)
I love the way the ice crystals really stand out. It’s amazing that they can form like that on leaves and branches.
Beautifully captured – nature does it best that’s for sure.
Thanks Elaine. The good side of winter!
That is some frost and you captured it beautifully as it shows such wonderful details in the plants!!!
Doesn’t it just. I never realised quite so many leaves are hairy!
Those photos are just marvelous, Jessica! I haven’t the nerve to say anything about frost – I also detest the cold 😉 But you’ve certainly displayed its beauties splendidly!
Thanks. Very different weather this afternoon. From another early morning frost we’re back to rain.
Wow, there’s not many things more beautiful in winter than a hoar frost. Gorgeous photos! The frost sometimes looks like sugar on the leaves.
It looks just like that.. especially on the inner leaves of the Ajuga and Heucherella. A light sprinkling!
Frost is beautiful, and you’ve captured it in all its glory. Many of these images belong in frames on your wall, or at an art exhibition. Stunning!
Thanks Beth. It can be very beautiful. If only it could still be beautiful.. and warm!
The effect of frost is beautiful – at least as long as it causes no irrevocable harm. My area seldom gets frost and, were it to occur, the impact would be traumatic as my plants have no protection and aren’t accustomed to that kind of cold. The only incident of frost I can recall, some 15 years ago perhaps, literally caused plants to melt en masse into pools of black mush. I hope you suffer no such ill effects.
I’ve learnt my lesson with planting things that are not hardy and seen the black mush. But here it is supposed to be milder than where we used to live so I’m pushing at the boundaries a bit. I’ve planted borderline/less hardy plants such as dahlias and salvias. The foliage has died down, but I’ve left them in the ground with a thick covering of mulch. According to the local grower that should be enough.. we’ll see.
I love a sharp frost, though forewarned is forearmed when it comes to plants. Alas for the poor cherries i’ve seen flowering roundabout here!
I know. So many things had started flowering early. My camellia blooms are looking a bit sorry for themselves too. It’s too big a shrub to cover.
Magical images, especially the ferns, and great descriptions of the way the frost looks on each plant. We’ve still got a thinnish blanket of snow here after the last lot settled and froze.
Hopefully turning milder now so it should all melt. Then we have to go through the awful slushy stage.
Oooo – I do love winter when it’snot disruptive. Do you have any frost flowers out there? Trigger’s field is awash with them – amazing. I can’t believe you don’t have any…..beech seems to be the dead wood of choice! Beautiful images. I could look at them all day. x
I’ve never seen any, sadly, perhaps it’s a bit too sheltered at the bottom of the valley. Or perhaps I haven’t ventured deep enough into the wood when it’s so cold!
Beautiful photos. It’s like walking in to a magic garden when everything’s frosted, it’s like a sugar coating.
It does feel magic for a little while. The birds are spending a lot more time at the feeders so it must be cold. Thanks Jo.
Your photos are amazing, what camera do you use for such close up shots?
Hi mossfighter, thanks and welcome to rusty duck.
We use a Nikon D7100 DSLR with 18-200 zoom lens. Macro lens for much better close up shots is on the wish list!
When I was a kid, hoarfrost happened only at certain times in the early spring, and it would melt by noon. It made for beautiful mornings!
That’s got me thinking because I’ve never noticed it happening at a particular period over the winter. Perhaps it’s something to do with the temperature of the earth? I do know that some nights it can be far colder than it’s been recently and yet there is no visible sign of frost at all.
yes. truly magical!!!
And because it is so fleeting, even more so.
So magical, just as though they were iced with sugar! xx
Less fattening!
The frost in your garden looks so magical. Sarah x
Then the sun comes up and the spell is broken.
What gorgeous frost photos!! I can send you some snow if you like… 🙂
You are so kind 😉
Gorgeous Jessica 🙂
Thanks Cathy.
Beautiful! We rarely get hoar frost so I particularly enjoyed these images.
It’s odd to think you don’t get hoar frost, when your winters are so much colder than here. I must read up on it and find out what causes it.
Glorious photographs, I am trying not to be envious, when we do get frost here it has disappeared by the time there is enough light to take photos. But there’s still time, after all, it was February when I got to see frosty seaweed for the first time. But in the mean time, thank you for sharing all that beauty.
It went very quickly here too, it was a race against time to capture it. Now it seems we are back to the familiar cold and wet stuff! Thanks Janet.
They look so magical up close. 🙂
Hi Lux, they do don’t they. There has to be something good about winter in the UK!
Winter delights 🙂
Indeedy!