I am surprised Fairygirl that small plants like that survive even in the border. So your saying that my plants in pots would be ok even if they were frozen solid for a few days?
It's funny Paul because you have left your plants outside frozen solid without hesitation (obviously because you know they would be ok) and weren't fazed by it. Yet last winter when mine were frozen I cleared food out of my kitchen cupboards to fit my plants in to help them defrost slowly and I even also put some in the boot of my car!! Lol
All of your comments have actually made me feel more relaxed about this winter now and I definarely won't fuss so much when they have frozen!
Do you recall the cold snap of 2009/10 ? A garden centre not far from me lost the majority of their plants ; the reason ?.......too dry in the Winter !
Their watering system had frozen solid ; most of their plants died from drought in the middle of January !
PS When the 'Beasts' hit us in East Lincolnshire , I had forgotten all about my tree-fern at the end of the garden . Surviving a wind chill of -16C without protection , it survived and even surpassed itself this Summer !
Craig - things like geraniums, strawberries, heucheras, saxifrages, hellebores and many more are left to their own devices in my garden. In small pots. The other plants protect them. I've often found strawberries I've forgotten about, which have been left all winter and look dead, but they spring back to life. In fact - they probably do better than some more mature plants which are in open ground,because they get the full force of winter cold and wet. Trial and error I don't grow many plants that need cossetting though. I bought a salvia this year on a whim. I've taken cuttings as a back up, and they're in the growhouse with a couple of other things. Again - they would often struggle with the wet cold here, and it's in as free draining a spot as I can give it, so we'll see. They haven't done terribly well for me in the past As Paul says - even things like Gauras are tougher than is often thought.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't remember to be honest Paul. However it is quite surprising to hear as I always assumed plants lost hardly moisture due to the cold and humid weather. It just goes to show a gardener cannot ignore the garden even in winter. There is always something to check!
You have just reminded me actually about a video I saw on crocus.co.uk. A presenter is talking about how they keep every one of their hardy perennials (they look like 1litre pots) outside in the open throughout the rain, snow and freezing temperatures. I did wonder how they did this without them being killed off and I should have realised then that plants are tougher than I first thought!
The only only plant I take in for the winter is my canna. The rest are all moved to the sheltered SE facing corner of the terrace against the house wall. The terracotta pots are wrapped with bubble wrap to protect them from frost damage and thats it. I surround them with pots and containers with spring bulbs in and that’s it ... not lost anything yet. Even when we had 6 weeks of snow and freezing temps.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yes - a canna would be brought in here too, Dove. They'd never survive outside, and I wouldn't risk them in the ground and mulched either. I used to bring them into the house, corner of a cool room, or conservatory, or porch, depending on the house. I had one a couple of years ago here, and experimented. Left it tucked down beside the back door, sheltered little corner, under a sheet of glass too. Dead as the proverbial dodo Why not experiment a bit Craig? Tuck some in against walls, and in among planting, and see what works for you. You'd need to take two or three of the same plant to get a good result.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
All of your comments have actually made me feel more relaxed about this winter now and I definarely won't fuss so much when they have frozen!
I don't grow many plants that need cossetting though. I bought a salvia this year on a whim. I've taken cuttings as a back up, and they're in the growhouse with a couple of other things. Again - they would often struggle with the wet cold here, and it's in as free draining a spot as I can give it, so we'll see. They haven't done terribly well for me in the past
As Paul says - even things like Gauras are tougher than is often thought.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You have just reminded me actually about a video I saw on crocus.co.uk. A presenter is talking about how they keep every one of their hardy perennials (they look like 1litre pots) outside in the open throughout the rain, snow and freezing temperatures. I did wonder how they did this without them being killed off and I should have realised then that plants are tougher than I first thought!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I had one a couple of years ago here, and experimented. Left it tucked down beside the back door, sheltered little corner, under a sheet of glass too. Dead as the proverbial dodo
Why not experiment a bit Craig? Tuck some in against walls, and in among planting, and see what works for you. You'd need to take two or three of the same plant to get a good result.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...