Pink Frosting


Rob and I had a contest going on by 8:45 this morning-he sent me his photographs of the effects of the first frost-and I showed him mine.  We were both out early; it was 29 degrees, and there was plenty to see.  I told him my pictures were better-but that is not really the truth.  His pictures are beautiful, moody-atmospheric.  Mine are pink.  I will post his pictures, but since I am the keeper of this blog, I get to go first. To follow-some pictures of pink frosting.

I have a few frilly pink and red cabbages left from my fall plantings-they were exquisite this morning- touched, encrusted, illuminated and extraordinary, given the frost.  Today-a sure sign that that nature means business about the change of the seasons.  I had frost on my windshield at 6:45 am; heavy fog descended once the sun came up.  Am I ready for all of this change?  No.  As for the pink, I like the look.         

I have no plan to write about the mechanism by which moisture in the air condenses on surfaces today-this is a discussion best left for January, when all any of us have to think about is ice.  This morning’s temperature dip was just a promise of what is to come.  The cabbages readily handle the insult.  Their leaves are very thick-weather resistant.  The kales and cabbages-they buy me the time it takes to get used to the idea of winter.        

 Plenty of plants still look fine.  The roses and anemones still have lots of color.  I planted some Geranium Rozanne in my new perennial garden this spring; they are full of blooms.  My beech ferns and European ginger look as good as they did in August.  Most of my trees still have all of their leaves.  Lots of my landscape is evergreen.  This time of year I and thankful for that. Once the butterburrs get cut down, I top dress them with ground hardwood bark mulch for the winter.  It looks good now, and will be entirely decomposed by spring.  I did the same for the snakeroot, and brunnera; they gave up the garden several weeks ago. 

The limelight hydrangeas are a deep shade of rose pink, and the yellow magnolia leaves are starting to turn.  But the kales and cabbages are just hitting their stride.  Cold temperatures bring out the color. These pale pink leaves-wow.  No other plant, no other season, no other plant does pale pink quite like this.  As delicate as the color is, these leaves will shrug off the first frost as soon as the sun warms them.   

The sun made quick work of dispelling the frost. But it was beautiful while it lasted.