In the autumn, frost is fun, it is a herald and a wee bit exciting. In the Spring the frost can bring frozen tears to your eyes. When I was writing to you yesterday morning I saw this through the window.
And thought oh how pretty, look at the sun rising through those translucent leaves. But we had had a silent mean bad frost. The leaves were transparent not translucent. The Late Spring frost had breathed his wicked breath at them, frozen them, then silently left them to die.
This is one of the Paw Paws. They are three years old this spring. There are eight of them. All their leaves are dead.
A Fall frost is kind of romantic and photogenic, a Late Spring frost … 
.. can kill your harvest. 
Least said the better. The whole crop is black green and falling.
We cannot always have beauty and we cannot always have right. Fair is often a luxury. This a fundamental knowledge. This is why joy is so brilliant and so bright, if we have the wit to see it. Because joy comes in short sublime bursts. When things go wrong, when God says No and we have no choice in the matter, it is just a bugger. We must move quickly on. So I will not show you the pears or the cherries. Or the hydrangeas. Or my beautiful sunburst magnolia that has not one untouched leaf, every one is freeze dried. But I am sure the leaves will grow back.
All is not lost so I will show you the blue berries….
whose leaves are still lovely.
And the aquilegia are all still beautiful. 
The chicks have a heat lamp so they are all warm and 
cosy.
When living the little farmy life, you have to keep your head above water by Forcing it back above the water when something goes wrong or those frozen tears will freeze in your eyes and make you blind to the joy of the survivors. But that morning was very very cold. And the frost that ruined our fruit harvest was not sweet at all.
This guy is though.
Someone is sneaking through my outdoor feed station. 
And looking pretty on the drive. Completely unaffected by the fact that all the tomatoes are black. John covered every one but they are all dead. However he has more in pots that were all brought inside that night, and last night when it froze again. He knew the risks. So he will be replanting this weekend.
I have been trying for over two weeks to take a delicate shot showing why I keep saying Mama must have her lambs soon. This is hardly delicate but you see what I mean! Hard not to look isn’t it! Soon Mama, soon!
Good morning. Lots to do today. The weather man tells me that last night’s second frost was the last one, so onwards and upwards now. Let’s hit the ground running today!
I am so glad you have chosen to ride the roller coaster of farmy life with me! Have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
88 responses to “Frost is only called Jack in the autumn”
We had two, or was it three, nights of horrible, hard frost here in Minnesota, too. I covered my bleeding heart and my fern peony and they survived. As for the other plants, I haven’t had the heart to inspect them or to even think about the budding trees or the wild raspberries. Except for spinach, no vegetables were planted yet. At least you’re trying to stay positive in light of your losses.
I know what you mean about not having the heart to look! Hopefully that will be all for now! fingers crossed.. c
I am so sorry to hear about the frost! Mamma will have her baby soon, thouh and the chicklets are so cute!
Those chickens are the sweetest things! c
Ha, Mama knew something we didn’t … just how many is she expecting to be feeding 4? 6?. And noooo I’m not making any comments about that asparagus:) Celi it will all bounce back you’ll see. thanks for the pictures they are stunning none-the-less.
Thank you and you are so right, we will have a second spring! with lots of new growth.. c
The chicks look so cozy, at least they stayed warm! Frosts are the worst, so sorry about the trees and the asparagus crop…
Morning Ksenia, I am confident that the trees will recover, and grow new leaves,, but yup our asparagus is over for the year! and just when you are doing a month of asparagus on your blog!! c
Hi, C:) That’s good to hear about the trees though not as much about your asparagus crop! You did make the most of it while it was around though!
Beautiful life includes all things. May today and tomorrow be warmer and brighter for you and the farm.
morning melissa, your words are perfect! c
So sad about that frost! You wrote so beautifully about it though, and your photos are great as always. You’ve taken something crummy, made something lovely and even managed to end on a high note. All in a morning’s work!
Morning Siobhan, hope you had a lovely day!! c
Not your hydrangeas too!! Ok, trying not to be sad and have frozen tears.. can I tell you that you’ve described your (this) feeling so poetically it was very touching. You’ve really captured how it feels to have a bugger of a day disappoint us and still go on.. Ok, I’m no longer not looking, because that will cheer me up! xo Smidge
YES! Come on Mama.. cheer us all up!! Maybe she needs a gin! c
Your frost must have been harsher than ours. We are in a valley so we got some but it doesn’t look too damaging. When the sun hits the garden I will check it. From the house the peach tree looks okay. Some flowers wilted, but with the sun again they perked up. The lilacs and honeysuckle still look good too. They are hearty.
I’m not noticing many bees. Though my kids say they have seen some. Still doesn’t sound like many. Wondering how this early blooming, then frost, will affect them and the pollinating process.
hi celia! ouch…mama looks like i feel! what a shame about the frost. i’ve lost some things too but we can’t fight mother nature and this sure has been a strange year! joyce
Oh Celi, I am sorry to hear about your fruits and tomatoes! We were out at sunset with frost blankets here. I think they worked for us because we were only at 32 deg. this morning… if had been any colder, well, who can say.
I am in love with Kupa! ~ Lynda
mm we went a lot colder, however all done now.. Kupa is developing star status! c
Which is as it should be for a “Royal.” 😉
~ L
Your perspective and resilience, although I know it is absolutely necessary, still shines through in a way that really touches me, Celi. I know how much love goes into every one of those flowers, trees, bushes and vegetables. The “life” on the farm is the heart of it, and to see it damaged is tear-worthy, but to remember “frozen tears” blinds to the joy! Wow! And I love the indelicate photo of Mama…I wonder if she’s uncomfortable! Bless you in your repair work today, Celi! Debra
Morning debra nd thank you for your lovely words, thankfully I only have to deal with a frost, not a real crisis! c
Shame about Jack Frost, but good to see the chicks and Mama doing well 😉
yup, all good on the farmy otherwise! c
Definitely is looking like a government (closed road) & nature conspiracy to keep you from selling asparagus. I always thought they could have two cuts a year? Maybe that’s just in warmer climes. I’d still be tempted to go out and cut before the rot goes to the roots, and hope for a second go… The pears and cherries are a hard loss for storing fruit for the winter. I guess it will be a lot of blueberries…
I have mown them, it is a huge patch, but maybe that will be it for the year.. ah well, definitely a conspiracy .. asparagus sales are doomed this year! c
That Jack Frost, he’s a SCUNNER (and a toerag, not to mention a scallywag). However, he hasn’t got the best of you, there is still beauty and life on the farmy – those chicks, for one thing, look unbearably soft. They are going to be a big hit when you go visiting.
It is something I am not used to anymore, frost, we just do t have it by the sea, we get a bit excited when it drops to 5C. Shame about the crop, such a late frost too.