Frosty mornings can be perfectly lovely and plants outlined by frost are quite stunning. That is, when you've got time to stand and admire and when you’re sure you’ve protected all your tender plants and when you’re not having to scrape the car windscreen in a hurry. Make time! The beauty is so fleeting.

Trees transformed by hoar frost. Frosty

Trees transformed by hoar frost near Cope's Hill Farm on Wisbech Road, Welney, Norfolk. © Copyright Richard Humphrey and licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Of course, many plants do have to be protected from frost but many are perfectly adapted to it. They will be just fine and look so beautiful when covered with delicate hoar frost as in the image above.

Make your frosty garden look special

It really is worth creating a clear garden structure. When you see straight lines of clipped hedges and neatened lawn edges laid out in the cold, crisp air, all the aches and pains of your hard work are forgotten.

Choose some plants this year that will survive frost and look good.

Which plants will look beautiful in frosty conditions?

Most evergreen plants, with broad leaves or with needles.  Junipers, for example, have fine leathery and angled foliage so the frost can’t settle and do any damage.

Plants originally from areas which regularly have low temperatures.

Plants with small, densely packed leaves such as hebe or box (buxus).

Frost on Buxus. Frosty

Frost on Buxus. © nxo and reused under CC BY 2.0 licence.

Plants with tough, leathery leaves, such as the spurges (euphorbia).

Plants with hairy leaves like nettles. (They are a good butterfly food plant so I expect you've already make a little space for them in your garden.)

Frost on a nettle, Netherlands. Frosty

Frost on a nettle, Netherlands. © Vincent van Zeijst and licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0

Plants with seed heads such as Echinacea or wild teasels. When you’re tidying up remember to leave some seed heads. Finches especially will enjoy the seeds and the frost will delineate the heads perfectly.

Jack Frost was about on a frosty, crisp morning at Amisfield, east of Haddington, East Lothian.

Jack Frost was about on a frosty, crisp morning at Amisfield, east of Haddington, East Lothian. © Copyright Lisa Jarvis and licensed for reuse under CC BY-SA 2.0

Make time! The beauty of frosty mornings is so fleeting.