Contemplations on Winter Frost Covering a Compost Pit

It's always magical wake up and see frost covering everything. It reveals geometrical patterns differently across each surface. I'm always reminded to be grateful that while often the frost will kill off some of my favorite non-frost tolerant plants, it does a great service. It breaks pest reproduction cycles and thus contributes to overall eco-system health and resilience to imbalance. It's not really sensible to claim that any biome is superior to another, there are always trade-offs no matter where you are. However, I do think it's sensible to embrace the sentiment that it's nice to have "the best of both worlds".

In permaculture design we often talk about valuing the marginal and maximizing the potential of positive synergy and productive capacity of the edges from one area to the next. I was spoiled for many years doing permaculture projects in the Los Angeles area where there is almost never a killing frost. I thoroughly enjoyed that rare niche of year-round optimal growing temperatures. However I'm now realizing that no sub-freezing temperatures can be seen as both a curse and a blessing. As climate change pushes the survivable range of pests and parasites wider and wider across the globe, I'm starting to appreciate a cold winter which naturally creates more gradients and edges for life to creatively adapt to.

I'm not the biggest fan of the cold, however, it is nice to be bundled up and have an excuse to sleep-in longer and enjoy the dream space more. A frost covered morning for me now is a gift to cherish and behold.