thawed frost drops on winter jasmine

Thawing…for now!

Posted on by Ann Mackay

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We still have some below-zero nights forecast, but it feels as if the worst of the cold is over. Of course, that feeling may turn out to be entirely wrong, because there’s still plenty of time left for more wintry weather. Despite that, the sight of the early daffodil leaves poking up through the soil and the first hellebore flowers makes it feel like spring isn’t so far away.

Thawing frost created several opportunities in the past few weeks for me to get busy with my camera. The tiny meltwater droplets looked especially clear and they glittered where the sun struck them. Other drops, in dark corners where the defrost was slower, were still half-frozen.

clear drops of thawing frost
Sunshine brings out the sparkle on the drops of melted frost on Euphorbia mellifera leaves and the seed heads of a Miscanthus grass.

Thinking about that clarity in the drops of melting frost made me wonder if they were purer than ordinary raindrops. After all, raindrops pass through the atmosphere, collecting any pollutants along the way, whereas frost is formed from condensed water vapour. So, like a distilled liquid, they should be free of impurities…well, that’s my theory, anyway! In any case, I enjoy seeing the plants here all decked out in these sparkling little beads.

I am very much looking forward to spring; now I’m longing to see new growth and feel the sun warm the air. At the same time, I realise that I should take care to notice winter’s small details and the way that the natural world changes through this period of cold weather. Soon enough, the changes will be those of approaching spring…🌱

Frost thawing on rose leaves.
Thawed frost forming drops around the edges of rose leaves.
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Published by Ann Mackay

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

15 thoughts on “Thawing…for now!”

  1. Isn’t it incredible how beautiful something as simple as water droplets can be? You’ve captured the feeling of an ‘in between’ season so well in your photos. We’re still very much in winter here, unfortunately the frost hasn’t finished with us yet! Enjoy your garden, I’m a tad envious of that daffodil (in the nicest possible way, of course!). 😊

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    1. It’s also known as ‘honey spurge’ because the flowers are honey-scented, and the nectar makes it popular with bees. I reckon our next lot of droplets will be raindrops! But with a bit of luck there will be sun soon too.

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  4. Droplets on greenery are so very pretty, Ann, thank you for sharing your precious photos. I like your theory about melting frost.

    Enjoy the prospect of approaching spring. Here in Colorado, we will have days or weeks ahead that make us think winter is over, but it will take months before spring is here to stay.

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    1. Although it doesn’t feel so cold here now, spring won’t be properly here for a little while yet. But there will soon be a feeling of ‘pre-spring’ as the early plants start to come back into growth – it’s a hopeful time!

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  5. That first photo’s my favorite. Not only is the yellow and purple combination pleasing, I was interested to see yet another flower that becomes semi-translucent when wet.

    When I looked at your last photo, I thought immediately about our dewberries; the leaves seemed so familiar, and they certainly are colored as dewberry leaves can be when touched with cold. After a little thought, I remembered: dewberries are in the genus Rubus, which is part of the Rosaceae, so the similarity makes sense. Little by little, I’m sorting out these family connections!

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    1. The translucence is very pretty but fleeting, because the flower will soon be left looking like a tiny wilted yellow rag. The frost can look spectacular on plants but it can be cruel too! Plant families are fascinating. I’m slowly learning more about them and it’s interesting to see how big and varied some of these families are

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  6. Lovely photos Ann. Love the translucent winter jasmine flowers. Mine hasn’t flowered at all this year. Perhaps it’s dead…

    Currently 7C here and sunny, but looks are deceiving it’s very chilly outside!

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    1. I love the way flowers become translucent when they’re wet or after frost. It’s sad that yours appears to be in trouble – hope it’s still alive! It has started to turn rainy here, but I can’t complain because it will soon be needed when everything starts to grow again. (I think the moment I realised I was a gardener was when I was pleased to see rain!)

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