Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
schoolhouse_gw

Frost tomorrow morning in our area

schoolhouse_gw
9 years ago

I covered a geranium out on the back porch, but not going to bother with any other annuals or perennials in the garden. The orange salvia in the crescent bed is beautiful, the best it's looked since I planted it in June. Guessing it must do better in cooler temps. White snap dragons are having a second or third flush also.

Comments (14)

  • nulty
    9 years ago

    Hi schoolhouse,

    Covering your Geranium gets me thinking you are preparing for the cold or frost,..plus only today i was admiring the amount of Geraniums in flower hereabouts and thinking i must have some for next year,..Snapdragons really last well into our Autumn and are doing so just now with Winter only 19 days away,..delighted for you that your orange Salvia is doing so well,..orange is a nice colour to have this time of year.

    Philip

  • schoolhouse_gw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    As I said in the title of my post, we were warned and boy did we get a hard frost. Last night before bed I remembered the coleus on the front porch and not wanting to make a trip to the barn for some row cover, I just slid the urn with the coleus under some nearby rose branches that overhang the porch floor a bit. It worked. I haven't made the rounds down through the garden yet to check things out.

    Today I'm going to start work on making burlap wind breaks for the boxwood hedge borders. I have a couple from some winters ago that haven't been used in awhile, the burlap might be rotted not sure. Plus I have a brand new 24' roll of burlap never out of the package, but I'm sure I'll need more. People are saying we are going to have another hard winter and if the winds and snow are anything like last year I want to be prepared.

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    9 years ago

    I don't envy you frost brrrr, cold weather ahead, so far so good here, no sign of frost in the forecast for the next two weeks, lots of rain though.
    I've already started moving the tenders into the greenhouse for the winter, bought a few new Brugmansias this spring and a replacement for the Dichroa I lost, this time I planted it in a container so I can move it into the greenhouse if needed.

    The Wisteria I thought was toast came back this year to a certain degree but think I'll throw some burlap over the top of the pergola where it's growing for a bit of added protection later on, just in case we have a winter like last year, it was so mild everything started to grow and then we hit the deep freeze.

    Annette

  • schoolhouse_gw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    How do you feel about these? Our local RKO had several of these early in the Spring but at the time I didn't have the extra $$ and more or less forgot about them. Now I'm thinking one might be a good idea for the teapot topiary which for the first time last winter got hit by the sub zero winds. Do you think enough air and light would get through? Heavy snow would have to be removed periodically I'd think. Since the topiary won't really be growing any larger it might be a good investment.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Shrub and plant protectors

  • aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
    9 years ago

    Sounds like a good investment to me, topiaries are not created overnight. It could always be removed in milder periods.

    Annette

  • Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
    9 years ago

    Does anyone else feel a sense of relief as the season closes down ? I always have mixed feelings ... From "quick ! Get those projects done " to "eh , there's always next year ..." Back to " well I can start my rose wish list for next year" , " should I add more beds ?" ......
    Well right now I'm glad for a little break . Well actually nows the time to wrap everything up and I will ... But a break from the heat and the rain has softened the soil quite nicely .
    Our frost is a ways away , but not too far!
    Schoolhouse, do you save your geraniums for next year ? I have one pot I might have to at least try . :)

  • nulty
    9 years ago

    I am sure they would a great help during the cold spell of winter in particular if you were stuck for space to overwinter medium to large sized plants,..i just purchased a roll of frost protection matting,..its that extra stable coconut fabric,..it claims to protect against wind and frost?,..hope it works on my Elephant Ear.

    Philip

  • schoolhouse_gw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, I save geraniums from year to year as long as they are still healthy and blooming. This the third season for the salmon colored one, only half of what it used to be but what is there is tall.
    I just hate to pitch something that is blooming so well. There is also a magenta geranium in a terra cotta pot sitting atop a cupboard in the pantry. It is also three years old and I didn't even bother to put it outside this summer. It has a bloom right now and a new bud.

    Yes, Fall means extra work to get things tidy and ready for winter. Next month is when I start to gather the tables and chair sets and take them to the storage shed. We had snow in early November last year if I remember right. Perhaps I'll reconsider and do it the last week of this month.

    Raining here right now. I wanted to plant some more bulbs before it began.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm going to buy one of those covers for the teapot topiary but construct burlap teepees for the cup and the small new pyramid boxwood I bought this Spring. I lost the older pyramid over the winter.

    What does the coconut fabric look like? The burlap I use is ordinary landscaping burlap, fibers are not that tight; but it does a good enough job as a wind break. I'm tempted to wrap a big topiary with it but I've never done that because I'm not sure about the fabric laying directly on the foliage.

    The next question is when to actually install it. I suppose I should set them up in late November before cold winds begin, there shouldn't be any harm in it. I'm trying to remember just when we had those sub zero temps and winds last year. Seems it lasted forever.

  • nulty
    9 years ago

    Hi lilyfinch,

    Our frost has not arrived yet,..but it could be soon,.. so there is a sense of urgency to protect certain plants,..to make new beds and sow seeds for Spring,..well seeds that like to go through the cold spell rather than wait for Spring sowing and yes the relief of constant gardening during the previous blooming seasons is over so time to relax.

    Philip

    ===============================================

    Hi schoolhouse,

    The Coconut Fiber reminds me of the material one used to see many many years ago in mattresses,..people used to call it horsehair?,..i would prefer the ready made protectors you see in your link but will have to do with the coconut fiber for now,..i will place canes in the pot first then wrap the coconut fiber outside these rather than have it touch the leaves,..you could do the same with the burlap,..some people use bubblewrap in the same way,..below is a picture of the coconut fiber roll.

    Philip

  • nulty
    9 years ago

    Its easy to cut,..so i can overlap a top on the main wrap around.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I like the look of that coconut fiber. Is it expensive? The 3' X 24' rolls of burlap I use run $9.98 each.

    Yes, I have a collection of bamboo canes of various sizes that I can use for the teepees. I buy them when I see a good deal or when on clearance. They come in handy for alot of things. I also read recently when searching for wrapping ideas that you should leave at least one side open, the one least in the path of winds. I wonder also if snow buildup would collapse the teepees? I'm probably over thinking all of this but this is the first time I've really worried about winter damage; and it's because I took such a hit last winter.

    I remember one winter I laid pine boughs on top of the boxwood, read about it in a book.

  • schoolhouse_gw
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hey, I went to the NuVue website to see where their products are sold. It listed among others True Value Hardware stores. So I drove to the local TVH where I shop all the time in a nearby village and talked to the clerk about them. She looked it up on her computer and said she'd order some in several different sizes and they'd be here Friday. I told her I'd save about $10 in S/H! Plus I'll get see what they look like in person.

  • nulty
    9 years ago

    Hi schoolhouse,

    that's great news,..the seeing them in reality will be great,.. sometimes these products look great in advertisements but not so when you examine them but i think those teepees will do the job,..as for VERY heavy snow on top of them,.. well most covering will have a limit,..i do like the fact they are easy to manage,..no cutting or adding support,..ready to use is a bonus,..i don't blame you for over thinking,..its best to think out every angle otherwise you lose plants,..oh the Coconut Fiber costs 4 Euro/$5 and only 50cmX150cm that's 20 inches high X 5Ft long but you just cut it with a scissors and overlap.

    Philip