by Laura Lemmon
While few flowers are visible when nighttime temperatures drop below freezing, a different type of "flower" can be observed on early morning walks. This phenomenon, known as a "frost flower" or "ice flower," occurs when moisture in certain herbaceous plants freezes and causes the stems to split vertically. As the stem splits, the exposed sap is pushed out in ribbons, which then freeze into ice crystals. Frost flowers are most likely to form when the air temperatures are very cold, while the soil remains unfrozen.
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I use a lot of arborist wood chips! They are one of the best mulches for trees and shrubs. They have been very effective in establishing new habitats for native plants. They cover my vegetable garden paths. Wood chips have greatly helped improve soils everywhere I've used them.
So what are arborist wood chips? Unlike commercial mulches, which are uniform in size and material, wood chips include bark, wood, and leaves or needles from freshly cut or pruned trees. Wood chips are slow decomposers, breaking down to compost and adding nutrients over…
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