IS IT me or has the weather become suddenly colder? I know we had a heavy frost over the weekend, but even so weren’t the winds biting cold? Or am I maybe starting with a bit of man flu!

Either way I’m sure the garden is also beginning to feel the cold. It’s rather surprising how a heavy or sustained frost can affect the garden – you might think that any tender plant would be the first to show signs of frost damage, but in fact many hardy plants can also suffer frost damage too.

When we have a period of cold weather, many plants – rather like us – do things to stop themselves from freezing. Many, for example, increase the level of sugar or starches of the plant cells to resist freezing. It’s the plant’s natural antifreeze, which is why some vegetables such as parsnips and swedes taste a lot sweeter after frosty weather (that is, of course, if you can lift them when the ground is frosty).

So, how can you avoid frost damage? Well a little planning and protection can go a long way to help. You might recall that a few weeks ago I talked about how many gardens are made up from a series of micro-climates, and by understanding how different parts of the garden are affected by the climate you can, for example, plant frost-hardy plants in known frost pockets, or a part of the garden which are in the shade or get little sun, because in these areas the frost is likely to hang around a lot longer before thawing.

A simple but very effective method for protecting a number of plants is to apply a deep layer of mulch over or around established plants, especially for summer flowering perennials which normally die back at this time of year to a root mass. A good layer of mulch will also help evergreen plants, especially in a sustained frost, if the ground becomes frozen. The mulch stops the plant from taking up water, while the leaves continue to lose water. This results in evergreens such as coniferous plants showing large brown patches as the leaves desiccate.

Larger plants and those plants which are known to be more tender over the winter months, such as the tree fern, can be protected by wrapping the plant in horticultural fleece. If you have any clay pots or planters then raise these off the ground – these can be placed on clay or wooden feet/blocks just enough to keep them off the ground to help prevent the pot or planter cracking during freezing condition.

However, no matter how much planning and protection you take, some plants especially during heavy and sustained frosty conditions, are going to suffer. Don’t immediately think you have lost your plant to frost as many plants are rather resilient; it may take a while before it shows any new growth (although admittedly if it has not done so by mid-summer it is likely to be dead).

Despite the weather, I was pleased to see my ‘False Castor Oil’ (Fatsia japonica) plant produce its rather interesting flower buds, and despite originating from Japan (hence its tropical look) it is also very hardy in this country.

Actually, it makes a great garden structural plant, growing up to 3m tall, and being evergreen means it also has year-round interest. My photograph clearly shows the rather interesting formation of the flower buds which will open to produce small white flowers over the next few days, and these flowers then produce small black berries which the garden birds absolutely love.