Well, I made sure to harvest the last of the cabbage today, but I may have left it a day too late. I don't think the heads should actually be *frozen.* :) We'll see what happens when they thaw out.

Otherwise, I guess I am about to find out the shelter locations I used for those borderline plants for this zone are as sheltered as I thought.

I brought in even my "hardy" succulents. Part of the reason I keep them in pots is better drainage, this is the the rest of the reason!

The nurseries will do a brisk business in the spring, selling replacements!

I don't know what to expect, I've added a lot of plants to the yard since the last time it got this cold here. Flirting with single digits down here tonight too, not supposed to get above freezing tomorrow at all. Will know more in March-May, ugh! I don't think a sheet is enough magic at that temp in gusty winds. Grateful the sun is warming the ground today at least. I didn't put this stuff in the yard to be coddled. If it doesn't come back, wasn't meant to be, though some are worth it even if they only last a few years at a time, and all have been thoroughly enjoyed already, if not for long.

What are you worried about? I'll be fretting:
Persian shield, didn't keep any cuttings inside this year, oops!
Caladiums (worth replacing!)
Cucurma
I guess I should add Osmanthus fragrans? Little guy PIG this spring.
Jasminum nitidum, also new this year
Cycads, new

Good luck everyone!

purple - if you are, as I've always assumed, actually in Opp, AL, you shouldn't have to worry about Persian Shield; here in Vincent mine has made a pest of itself. And my 15+ Osmanthus fragrans shrubs have rarely suffered any winter damage, and that has been limited to new growth put on in Fall. Rhizo....well, I'm not going to guess, but do let us know. You're much farther north than me. I'd be interested in knowing how yours handled single temps. I hope everyone was/is pleasantly surprised.

Nelson

Nelson, I'm afraid to look! I'll take a peek later on today....it's been a surprisingly sturdy plant but it got awfully close to zero the other night.

TY, Nelson! Have you been out yet?

They've been replacing our roof in fits'n'starts during the past week and in addition to cold, there's been ladders & guys stepping in my flower beds. Cold + trampling = ? I asked them to put some plywood down, but that didn't happen. They started at the back of the house, which required pulling up part of the fence and driving across part of a bed. I pulled a few plants that were going to be driven over, but wasn't able to put them back in the ground yet, they're probably goners from roots exposed to cold. I feel better about being proactive though, even if it was probably the wrong thing. I haven't been outside for a few days, trying to brace myself for what I'll find, or not find.

Its hard to know yet what bit the dust, or frost. Time will tell, I am afraid.

Today I started putting out the plants I had taken in. What I found was that the cold rains before the freeze had damaged several agaves. They probably will live but the damage will take several years for them to outgrow. I think all my landscape plants are OK, I don't know of any zone-marginal plants I had in the ground - if so, I will find out!

Here we go again! I am expecting a lot of winter kill this year. Added to what the critters have eaten, I will have to be planting a lot of new stuff - good thing I have a lot of seeds!

A few minutes ago, James Spann said there is yet another coming next week.

Why did I move back here from New Orleans?

(Yeah, I know, Katrina, but at the moment...)

I'll go out and cover my tea camellias and bay tree again, but this one doesn't look nearly as bad.

Well, this turns out to be a multiple-episode-cold-spell, with prolonged lower than average temps between shots of well below average temps. I'm pretty sure I'm not in 8b this winter, but won't know for a while yet, as said above. The ground temp is the key, isn't it, 'chill hours?' Night after night and day after day of well-below average temps can't be good for keeping that up where it usually is. Whatever the effects are later, this is insane now! Jeez Louise! This is the first time I've seen/had real winter here, lived here 7 years, for what little that's worth.

If we'd known, we could have all planted Dutch tulips for a wildly unusual display this spring. Holy cow!

Was that your crystal ball for January 28-29!?!

I think this is it, and then we will slide into spring. The plants and are starting to act like spring is here.

Funnily enough, the NOAA Climate Prediction Center is saying cool/average temps with above average rain for the next two weeks, then we are more likely to have above average temps and dry/average through April.

Here is a link that might be useful: NOAA Climate Prediction Center

My red maple is already putting on buds. I hope this it for the rest of the year.

Yeah, they are budding up here as well. Blueberry buds swelling, daffodils and tulips coming up -- it won't be long.

My blueberries seem to like it. They are a very beautiful shade of maroon this winter.