We've had a very hard winter for the UK. I wouldn't decide that anything is dead until at least late spring or summer time. Even if the top growth is dead it may well grow again from the roots. I think that your plant, being newly planted, is more vulnerable than a well established one, but it may make a come-back. Keep your fingers crossed, Gooseygander.
Oh, and welcome, by the way! :-)

Your Buddleia being small and grown in a controlled area would not have been hard enough to survive the freezing weather.

What a shame. I think we've all learned that plants aren't as hardy as we thought in the extreme winter temperatures we had. :-(

I'd wait a while before deciding its dead - it may, as Beattie says, grow from the roots. What Docbob says is relevant though - its unfortunate that we had an early onset to severe winter weather - anything newly planted in autumn last year would have had to cope with very extreme conditions very rapidly, and even some well established shrubs were affected.

I had some recently planted hardy Fuchsias that were blasted to bits not long after planting last autumn. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, just as you are Gooseygander.

Thanks everyone!

Do you think that my osteospermum that look very dead may come back too? Fingers crossed!

Unless they're Osteospermum jucundum, no. They are the only hardy ones, I'm afraid, and even those have been affected a bit this year!

Even the osteospermums on my very sheltered, south facing balcony look like inhabitants of a petrified forest...

Well - that's a different slant on dead plants, Bamboo!

I like a bit of descriptive variety myself, Spritz;-))

I noticed! You could make an interesting feature with them - maybe! lol.

Just had another look at them spritz - the only interesting feature they're going to make is as an addition to the garden waste...

Oh dear. :-(

It looks like my buddleia may have made it!

Oh, that's good news. I'm pleased for you. :-)))

Excellent! They're toughies, Buddleias. :-) Let's hope all the other plants that look as if they've had it recover too.

Oooh, Beattie, you ARE an optimist! I'm afraid that most of my casualties were VERY dead, and have gone to the tip. :-(( However, one of my Ceanothus is recovering. :-)

My Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby' still has to put in an appearance. I'm getting more worried about her, as I hear other people's 'Lady B's are growing away. :-(