Good news, Doug. Good to hear that.

Don B.

Congrats, Dougald! So far, I do not see any losses in my yard, either. I did not have anything in pots this year...that's really when I usually do have some type of loss, regardless of the winter's severity.

snow cover was the key ... as with that insulation.. winter winds.. and temps were just about irrelevant ... surely no freeze/thaw cycles ...

i like to say.. get them dormant.. keep them dormant.. and you should be all set

its the mild winters when trouble starts ...

congrats

ken

My hostas are coming along, not all are showing yet. But 3 of my rhododendrons look terrible, no green leaves survived.

Pips are starting to show, and so far so good. Bad rabbit damage, and evergreens look dreadful.

I had a few bad days wondering if I'd lost any and posted my 'hosta anxiety' on the New England forum a week or so ago. Looking back I wish I'd noted when I first saw pips and on which hostas.

In any event, nearly all mine are now pushing up through the soil other than on the north side of the house where the soil doesn't warm up as soon as it does in sunnier beds.

While I can claim only 30 named cultivars, there are an equal number of 'no name' plants that were here when I moved in nearly a decade ago. I love 'em all. They sure are a welcome sight for winter-sore eyes.

Doug:

wish I could say the same ...

gotta love 'em, even *grrrr* GE

*targeting drone for air strike*

Ha!

Dave

It's kind of soon for me to tell, but most of my in ground hostas seem ok, except for one or two which I suspect are vole casualties. Big losses with the potted ones, which I did not do enough to protect this severe winter, unfortunately. It also looks like I lost a few established Brunnera, and it's not looking good for blooms on my macrophylla hydrangea this year, which will be a first. Oh, and a japanese maple is heavily damaged. Not a good winter for me- but 23 eyes on Thunderbolt, so that's my silver lining!

I think Ken in his earlier post hit on the real reason for my success. In all the years I have been here (now 37 years), the ground has always frozen solid in fall and has never thawed during winter. I do not recall a single winter without snow cover and hostas have a 4-5 month uniterrupted dormancy.

No matter how severe the winter, the hostas can take it as long as they remain dormant. Even the so called early springs have limited effect as they first have to melt the snow and that must be done through the shade of the coniferous trees.

And Dave, my GE new last year with 3 eyes appears this year to have 8 :)

Doug

Only three out of about 215 so far have not to come up. Two of those where planted late in the season last fall. Both had frost heaved on me and the crowns where pushed above the mulch. But what took the worst of it was my hydrangeas Three are showing no signs of life. Not even coming up from the roots.

The big Surprise to me is the dwarf Nandina domestica in the back yard. It is not is the most protected location. After a normal winter It looks ruff with most of its foliage drooping and burned. This year it shed all its leaves and the stems turned almost black. In the last two weeks she had flushed out. Fuller and better then it has ever looked!

*targeting second drone*

dave

That is great news, Doug good for you. I am still waiting on a few plants to produce pips but it is far too early to tell what, if any, casualties I may have.