Frost

Yesterday morning we woke up to frost. This frost came on the heels of a week’s worth of warm sunny weather and was not well received here at Casa Beadle. We are done with being cold and wearing sensible close toed shoes. Our little piggies were enjoying being free, walking about in flip flops and cute open toed shoes. Rushing back to covered toes had not been on our agenda. In addition to our chilly toes my concern rose over my plants in the yard that had just begun to stretch out towards the sun and bud. Last year an aggressive frost wilted and damaged many of my favorite plants and caused some to make the decision to not even bloom. I was not going to let that happen again, I was going to do everything in my power to save as many as I could from Jack Frost.

All of the weather men and weather channels were cautioning about the frost and I took their caution seriously. In the past I have never paid much attention to these cautions but after last year’s Frost Fest that caused havoc in the yard I decided it would be best to take action. I ran to my computer and immediately Googled protecting plants from frost and got busy.

My family who is use to my nutty ways did not even think twice when I grabbed all of my sheets from the closet and set about covering my yard as best I could. As my youngest daughter and husband followed me around I shouted out orders like a General going into battle. I was not going to give up without a fight; no plant was going to be lost on my watch. We went about the yard clamping sheets and bracing them with rocks, the front of my house looked like the remains of a Klu Klux Klan get together. It was not pretty, but the most important part was my plants were safe.

 I went about the business of gathering the sheets up yesterday morning and struggled to not feel embarrassed and foolish as my neighbors all left for work. It was like the day after the frost walk of shame. There I was pulling sheets off plants, rolling them in a ball and carting them away. This was not a pretty sight. It was worth the work and embarrassment since many plants were saved and will live to bud again. Today I am busy willing the sun to come back and grace us with its presence. The sun would make this mountain of sheets that I am washing and folding seem like a lighter load.

All that being said, I would do it all again if it meant my buds would bloom! Sadly, I did not think to take pictures for you to delight in until it was too late so you will just have to picture the whole fiasco in your head. Think sheets of many different colors, styles and sizes, mounded over plants with metal clamps and rocks to keep them secure in the wind. Now just smile and hope for some sun for me will you please?