Winter is on its way. The first signs of its approach have begun to show here. Earlier in the week, there was a light frost. It had already melted by the time I got out into the garden with my camera.
That melted frost allowed me to photograph the gaura above, still covered in dozens of icy little droplets. Somehow these drops seem fresher and clearer than raindrops do. Maybe they are actually cleaner – rain must collect whatever’s in the atmosphere as it falls.
The way that flowers can become translucent after having been frosted fascinates me. It makes the flowers look quite different from the way they normally do. They become especially delicate and rather ethereal. The gaura in the top photo is now so see-through that you can easily see the drops on the backs of the petals right through the petals themselves.
I photographed the flower below a couple of days later, after a much harder frost. The sun takes a few hours to get into this part of the garden in winter, so I have a good chance of finding still-frozen flowers here. By contrast, at this time the other side of the garden was dripping quietly as the brilliant sunshine worked its way in. (I reckon that I should use the shadier areas for more plants that would look good frosted.)
After photographing the frosted gaura, I wandered around the garden to look for more frozen flowers. So that means I have more frosty photos to process for next week. In winter, I’m grateful for the photographic opportunities that frost brings – they help to keep me active until spring!
Ann Mackay: Inspired by Nature 
Wow Ann! The flower pix look incredible! Beautiful!
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Thank you Syd! Makes it worth getting very cold while out photographing the garden! 🙂
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There’s a flower here that becomes completely translucent when wet. I can’t remember the name, but I know I have a photo, and I know I found it in east Texas. I’ll see if I can dig it up.
Once again, your frost is delightful. I’ve never seen frost on gaura, and probably never will. By the time our frosts are possible, the gaura is long gone: at least, that’s the way it usually is. Maybe in January I’ll find frost on something. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy yours — especially since it’s on one of my favorite flowers.
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Your translucent flower sounds lovely! There aren’t many flowers left in the garden by this time, so I have to make the most of the few that remain when it gets frosty. I feel torn between wanting frost for the photo opportunities and worrying about the more tender plants not coping with it. Glad you enjoyed the frosty gaura! 🙂
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These are wonderful, but I know what you mean about frozen fingers!
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Thanks Jude! I guess that frozen fingers and toes are just part of the joys of photography in winter, hehe!
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Your photos are so beautiful! There’s a certain time in the early morning when there has been a frost and the sun has just come up when it looks like a fairy kingdom. I love walking at this time. Can’t wait to see the rest of your photos Ann!
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Thanks Laurel! That time on a frosty morning feels so special because it’s also extremely quiet – feels like you’ve got that fairy kingdom all to yourself! 🙂
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Those are some lovely frosted drops on your petals, Ann.
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Thanks Steve! I feel lucky to have some flowers left to get frosted!
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Beautiful! They look as if they have been coated in icing sugar.
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Yes, the frost looks just like sugar crystals. 🙂
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Yes, here comes winter. Two totally different effects with the droplets and the frost. Winter can be so effective with flower photos.
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I’m grateful for the effects of frost and the melted droplets – without them there wouldn’t be much left to photograph! It certainly feels wintry when I’m out taking photos like these! 🙂
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