It’s been a chilly new year so far, with frequent frosts and even a sprinkling of snow. All in all, a bit of a shock to the system for this southern softie.
Frost-capped sedum
What is frost?
When temperatures outside start to plummet, water vapour in the atmosphere turns to liquid. This is called the ‘dew point’. When outside surfaces (car, shed roof, lawn, plants!) cool past the dew point, the liquid freezes and ice crystals form. That’s frost, and we’ve had plenty of it!
A sprinkling of ice crystals
15 minutes of icy green
Although it’s been a great excuse to hunker down inside and switch to couch potato mode, I have still ventured out most days, using my 15 minutes of green to survey the dormant jumble outside and plan how much better I can make the garden this year compared to last.
Of course, I’ve also been making sure the birds are well supplied with food and clean drinking water, keeping part of the pond free from ice, opening up my greenhouse and cold frames on drier sunnier days to keep the air flowing, and harvesting the last of my leeks.
Keep the birds well supplied with nuts and other goodies in cold weather
Stay off the grass!
The problem is that I have to walk across the lawn to reach the bird tables, feeders and pond, and as we all know, walking on frosty lawns is BAD. Normally, individual blades of grass will bend underfoot and soon bounce back without damage, but when grass freezes it loses its elasticity and breaks, leaving unsightly footprints across the lawn until it gets growing again in the Spring.
Footprints in the snow – not good for the lawn!
So try to minimise your impact on your lawn on frosty mornings. Unfortunately, my lawn will just have to cope, as short of putting in paths across to the bird tables there is no way to avoid the damage. The good news is that it will grow back eventually, with no long-term damage.
The benefits of frost
I know we all curse the damage that late frosts can do to tender plants, but it does have its benefits too. A cold snap will improve the flavour of crops such as parsnips by turning starches into sugars, it will kill off pests and diseases, or at least stop them in their tracks for a while, and it will break down soil, improving the structure (particularly welcome for those of us with clay soil!).
And let’s face it, although it’s tempting to retreat indoors at this time of year, with the right number of layers in place there is nothing more invigorating than a walk outside in clear crystal air under a pale winter sky. So get out and enjoy the frost while it’s here.
Iced rosemary
Are you enjoying the frosty start to the year? Let me know!