The light of winter

Finally we got a little period with frosts and a clear sky. The Tokonoma plays well at such a day, when the bright lights are filtered trough the trees in the garden.

The trees benefit from the frost, killing bugs hiding under the bark or in the soil, and also helps the trees into winters dormancy. It has been so warm lately that some Potentillas i.e. began to show signs of growth and buds opening. Way too early.

As long they are not frozen and heated up by the morning sun, it will not damage the trees to receive some short frosty periods. I keep my bonsai away from the morning sun, because it may harm the needles when the cooled down leaves are heated up to sudden. Then inverse osmosis might happen, draining the leaves for sap, causing dried out leafs. Therefore it is essential to keep evergreen trees shaded in the morning hours. If  we get more persistent frosts I will put the trees in a shelter. But for now it is only -2C and positive temp. in the daytime.

At the Tokonoma is a Juniperus procumbens which I am preparing for the EBA exhibition at Noelanders in a few weeks. Still needs a little cleaning up.