can make for photo opportunities. The temperatures have been down to -3 C early morning for the last few days and it is just mid November.  I really hate being cold but I quite like macro photography so the frosty mornings always look like a great opportunity to take some macro shots of ice crystals.   Not only do I shake with the cold, but I have found there is a lot of camera shake just pressing the shutter button so I have been trying out using my mobile phone as a remote control (my mirrorless Sony alpha 5100 doesn’t have a space for one).  It works ok but isn’t that great, and I also find that I just can’t get into the best position to take the shot I want.  I did however get a couple of good shots of frosty crystals.  Need more practise.

Heath and his friend Cobis (sp?) very kindly came round to move the rhododendron for us the other day.  It is now in the right hand, back corner (where the Chamaecyparis used to be) and it looks much better already and really fills that corner.  They also planted the new Enkianthus campanulatus to the left of it.  The Pieris japonica Forest flame, to the right, will get a good prune once it has flowered in the spring, as it has gone into a weird shape and is very top heavy. It has loads of flower buds just now so I would like to enjoy the flowers first if  these frosts don’t damage them.  I now have a lot of planting space at the front of that border, so I need to think about how I am going to fill it up. That area gets some sun in the morning but is in deep shade by the golf course trees by noon.  The tree canopy also means is can get a bit dry there in the summer.  In winter once the leaves have fallen the area enjoys more rain.

Next on the ‘to do’ list is to sort out the congested areas by the pond, so, Rosie from Watergems is coming round to see exactly what needs to be done.

Frosty Leptinella squalida Platt’s black

Frosty Saxifraga umbrosa

Frost crystals close up

Rhododendron moved

So today is the first time the bird bath has frozen completely this winter, however, the pond is ok as it is situated lower than the bird bath.  I still wouldn’t like to be a little bird bathing in the pond today though.  As much as I detest being cold, I do love the patters that the frost makes on the different leaves. Hairy leaved plants pick up the frost sparkles on the tiny hairs, whereas the smoother leaves have frosted edges.  Others can have frosty highlights on prominent veins.  As a kid growing up without central heating and no double glazing, I adored the frost patterns on the inside of the windows in winter.  This morning I braved the cold to get a few snaps of some frosty leaves.  My hands were shaking a bit so they are a little out of focus.

Frozen bird bath

Frosty clematis Pixie

Frosty acer palmatum Garnet

Frosty hairy leaved thyme

Frosty tierella