Here Comes Winter

Posted on by Ann Mackay

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Winter is fast approaching us, with some heavy frosts already here. But it hasn’t arrived quickly enough for frost to catch the leaves of this elder (Sambucus ‘Black Lace’) this year. The leaves stayed on the shrub unusually late last year – right into December – and gave me the chance of this photograph during a hoar frost.

Hoar frost itself is unusual here. This was the first time I’d seen it in my garden and I made the most of my chance to take some photos of it. (Got a bit frozen though!) This year I’ll be on the lookout for it happening again.

I’d have been happier if this year’s frosts had held off for a little while because I still have a lot of work to catch up with in the garden. Weeks of rain have meant that the ground was much too wet for planting and needed a chance to dry out. Now the ground has dried out and I have plants I want to move. There are others in pots that are waiting to be planted out. But the ground is frozen! I will just have to wait a little longer. Right now, it seems like a very good idea to stay indoors and warm, perhaps just venturing out for a few more frosty photos… 🙂

Frosted leaves of Elder
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Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

27 thoughts on “Here Comes Winter”

  3. That’s a beautiful photo. If I’ve ever seen hoarfrost, I didn’t know what it was. The remaining green of these leaves beautifully compliments the frost — or vice-versa. At least you have a nice, warm place to snuggle into now!

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    1. Thank you! 🙂 I’ve only seen hoar frost a few times here, so this was a chance I had to take. I love the way the frost builds up and looks feathery – quite different to our normal frost. I’ll have to wait and see if we get any hoar frost this year.

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    1. Thank you Indira! This was an uncommonly heavy frost for this area, during a very cold period last year. I don’t like such cold weather much but the photographic opportunities were a compensation! 🙂

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