Frozen

Farewell, sweet clematis flowers.

While the Disney movie is adorable, in my very cold backyard this morning, the reality is not as pretty.  I am always saddened at the arrival of the first hard freeze because it means the end of the growing season for the year.

It seems especially disheartening this year as we have experienced night after night of sub freezing temperatures weeks before the cold normally arrives.  Even the hardiest of my fall bloomers cannot endure this.  I noticed that even the leaves on the trees have frozen and faded in the unusual freeze.  Our fabulous autumn faded to dull red and pale yellow in one night.

Since we also experienced a late spring this year, along with our early freeze, the entire growing season felt cramped and abbreviated. It was lovely while it lasted. 

Good-bye, cheerful chrysanthemums