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Pond Ice Pearls and Winter Blackberries

We saw temps in the low 20's last night, leaving this string of ice "pearls" on one of my pond plants.  They're telling us to expect something between 7 and 17 degrees tonight.




It also made my thornless blackberries' leaves turn this lovely red.





Maybe not your typical winter wonderland, but a nice change as long as it doesn't last too long and we don't have to drive on ice.  That's not a skill many  central Texans have mastered.

Comments

Pam/Digging said…
It's great to see what's going on in your garden, Vicki. The blackberry foliage is lovely indeed. It got down to at least 15 in my garden last night. I fear I've lost a number of tender plants.
January 9, 2010 at 6:36 AM
vbdb said…
Pam - you're amazing in your support of other bloggers. Thank you.

Several so-called "hardy" plants look like they're suffering this morning, too. Makes me wonder how many other Zones range in temps from single to triple digits. I'll bet someone out there already knows the answer.
January 9, 2010 at 9:12 AM
sweetbay said…
You're colder than we are in central NC! The ice pearls and the red blackberry leaves are beautiful.
January 9, 2010 at 11:21 AM
LindaCTG said…
How lovely to see the beauty of winter! It will certainly give you some ideas, too, for your herbal stories. My cilantro is not thrilled but it's not flattened.
January 10, 2010 at 10:36 AM
vbdb said…
Sweet Bay - Delighted you stopped by! Heard on the news it's also warmer in Reykjavik, Iceland than in Austin.

Linda - there have been some herbs looking a bit ragged that are normally winter hardy. My parsley, fennel and cilantro are still okay, but the sorrel and chives took a bit of a hit. Good news is the herbs will come back.
January 10, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Diana said…
Love those ice "pearls" on your plants -- what a cool image to capture. This cold weather has at least gotten all of us outside like peeping toms to check on our plants and the weird things that are happening to them. I'm sure we will all be oggling in the spring, too, to see what will and won't be making a return appearance. Glad to read your post. Didya see the next Fling is set for Buffalo - there's a link in my sidebar to their page - maybe you can go to make up for missing Chicago!
January 11, 2010 at 5:42 PM
Annie in Austin said…
It's ten days later, VBDB - your ice photo is lovely but I hope the price for its formation wasn't too high!

Hear we have some frosty days coming up again.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose
January 25, 2010 at 7:12 PM
vbdb said…
Right now I can't even think about how bad the damage is. Lost everything in the greenhouse, bulbine and agapanthus turned to mush, and 2 of 3 artichokes didn't make it. Trying to focus on the stalwart antique roses, larkspur, and Tulipa clusiana all acting like it's a perfect spring day! Sounds a lot like a gardening metaphor ...
January 25, 2010 at 8:00 PM
Annie in Austin said…
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! Bulbines & aloes slimed here - no greenhouse so I dragged what was movable into the garage.
The mutabilis & Lady Banks roses are defoliating, but John Dromgoole said that can be good for them once in awhile!

Annie
January 25, 2010 at 9:41 PM
Dirty Girl Gardening said…
My garden's signal of spring would be the nepeta coming back.
April 6, 2010 at 8:55 PM
ConsciousGardener said…
I love that red! The boysenberries in my yard turned the same deep hue.
May 18, 2010 at 8:17 AM
Betty Saenz said…
We had quite a sheet of ice on our pond during the coldest time. I have thornless blackberries in my garden too. They loved the rain this year! Right now my Red Oak is a delightful orange and red.
November 9, 2010 at 12:37 PM
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