When the first frost catches you unawares, as it always does, the garden is in full bloom and could have stayed that way for several more weeks. My goal is always to do my utmost to prolong the season by doing anything possible from having early flowering plants to those that are hardy and flower till they drop, which usually is an unnecessary early visit from Jack Frost.
Of course it is not a complete surprise when the shimmering and beautiful frost comes and lays its crystals over the sensitive blooming Dahlias and other plants that have been left outside to be beautiful till the end. No, the weather prognosis is checked frequently. Still, strangely the feeling is often one of surprise since the hope is great that this particular autumn gets to be frost free extra long. Although it truly is boring when the frost comes and puts an end to the season it is also one of the beautiful highlights of the gardening year. There are few sceneries that compare in beauty to when the first frost is dancing around, when the garden still has its vitality and is still flowering in abundance. Often I don’t even have time to get dressed instead I run out in my dressing gown with my camera at a ready to capture the icing sugar before the warmth of the day takes over.
