When freezing temperatures cause the water molecules in and around plants to freeze, the ice crystals cause irreversible damage to the plant cell walls and kill the plants. Just like that.
Let the record show that first frost 2026 occurred on Capella Farm on October 12.
I go through the same cycle every year - by September I am tired of the daily chores necessary to keep all of these pretty plants alive. Every morning for months I check each plant for signs of damage, pests, or disease. Every morning for months we harvest and condition flowers. Every morning for months we weed and deadhead and and and…
Don’t get me wrong, I have the best job in the world (at least in my opinion). But even the best job can become tiresome.
By early October I am already thinking about the next growing season and will admit that our gardens start to receive a little less attention. I start to look favorably forward to the first frost removing half my daily burden. That thought always feels like some sort of infidelity.
Then, one day, we wake up and the freezing temperatures have frozen the water molecules in and around our plants. The ice crystals have destroyed their cells walls and ended their lives for the season. And every year I am heartbroken to say goodbye, no matter how much I secretly wished for the relief.
Love is funny like that.
