Secrest: Calm Before The Frost

Published on

May 8 was a cold but pleasantly crisp, partly cloudy afternoon at OSU’s Secrest Arboretum at OSU-Wooster. May flowers were in order from azaleas to redbuds, from fothergilla to pearlbush. 

 

Azaleas and fothergilla bloom
Azaleas and fothergilla bloom at Secrest on May 8

 

Fothergilla on a cloudy day
Fothergilla blooms against a cloudy sky at Secrest on May 8

 

Redbuds in bloom
Redbuds in bloom at Secrest with brooding clouds above

 

But there were ghostly apparitions as well.  Not Christmas in July; instead more like Halloween in May.  On this particular Hallows-Eve, the image that haunts is the promise of a late-Spring, early morning (around 7am) May 9 frost, predicted to log in at 28 degrees F.

 

Frost protection
Gremlins are afoot prior to the frost at Secrest

 

Secrest Arboretum scene on May 8, 2020
It was such a lovely day

 

So, especially for young Japanese maples, out came hopefully protective plant pre-shrouds, as Secrestians hoped to put the hex to stave off shrivelled death-shrouds of plant leaves and buds.

 

Frost protecting Japanese maple
Green Goblin Japanese maple strides in the prefrost light!

 

What is your prediction? Will these help? Stay tuned.

   

 

 

Tags