I'm so devastated at how many plants appear to have frozen off in Texas' once-in-100-year arctic blast this past month. We got 5" of snow topped with 1" solid ice/sleet on every thing. It crunched in the streets as cars attemped to drive through it. I couldn't even walk on it in my yard. It didn't melt for 3 days, with temps ranging from -14ºC to -5ºC for 5-6 days straight. Here in Central Texas, we rarely see a hard freeze like that, and when we do get precipitation with low temps, it's usually melted off by the sun the very next day! But the sun didn't shine for 3 days following the snow/ice.
I've not emotionally been able to bring myself to do much work in the garden beds since. Too depressed about the plant losses. All Giant Liriopes froze to the very core of the plant. I cut them back to 5" clumps to hopefully rejuvenate them, but won't know if the root systems died until I see some new leaves emerging from the brown clumps. All leaves on my ginormous clumps of Aspidiatra elatior out front around all our trees are browned over and laying on the ground, awaiting my removal. Lost four 5' tall Nandina "Domestica" shrubs in front garden; the potted Nandina "Firepower" out there are severely leaf-damaged but stems/trunks appear to be still alive. Lost three 2 year old Pittosporum tobira 'Variegatum'that were only just starting to fill out nicely and look good this year. And alas, my lovely two evergreen 5' Calia secundiflora trees have no signs of life under the bark. All leaves browned and dropped. I will be gob-smacked if they shoot out any new leaves. Sigh.
Much to my surprise, I was amazed the large clump of Stachys byzantina in the back garden made it through the freeze just fine! I always thought them to be very delicate! My Cercis canadensis (Redbud trees) are blooming, so no problems there. My Hibiscus syriacus seems to have survived as well. I lost all leaves on my well-established Cycas revoluta (aka 'Sago Palm'), but don't know yet if the trunk/roots survived or not.
It's just beginning to warm up in Texas, so I'm hoping to emerge from my emotional slump over this statewide vegetation catastrophe (not to mention the other effects) and get outdoors to trim, prune and perk up what I can salvage. I've always wished the last home owner had planted less of many of the plants she chose............mother nature is now allowing me to re-design the gardens around this place more to my liking. Must try to look on the bright side and see the positive in this nightmare.
Sorry to hear about your losses @PeggyTX it's always sad when something you have nurtured fails. Hopefully those you would like to keep will surprise you and survive, and if not its that great opportunity to add what you have always wanted.😁
Old compost sacks to recycle Weeds and weed ridden soil into the brown recycle Same with old grapevine clippings Turf from last weeks planting into turf stack Last years potato soil into wall bed Cut lawn on longest setting Moved tyres (used for potatoes) to corner stack Shifted 50l ericaceous to back Shifted 200l wood chip to middle Collected bricks Swept path
@PeggyTX , sorry to hear of your garden problems We had a really bad winter a few years ago and killed of lots of specimen plants but you are right to look for the positives and redesign
Oh, I'm happy today. Went outside to inspect plant damages from our hard freeze and my four 5' Nandina domestica are just shooting out tiny reddish young leaves! They're NOT dead afer all. 2-3 new leaves eeking out of the clumps of Liriopes, too! Feeling a bit more hopeful today about my losses.
Just come in from a day’s pottering. Pruned until all my receptacles were full and then started power washing the patio, which also needs some re-pointing in places, so that’s the next few weekends sorted!
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I've not emotionally been able to bring myself to do much work in the garden beds since. Too depressed about the plant losses. All Giant Liriopes froze to the very core of the plant. I cut them back to 5" clumps to hopefully rejuvenate them, but won't know if the root systems died until I see some new leaves emerging from the brown clumps. All leaves on my ginormous clumps of Aspidiatra elatior out front around all our trees are browned over and laying on the ground, awaiting my removal. Lost four 5' tall Nandina "Domestica" shrubs in front garden; the potted Nandina "Firepower" out there are severely leaf-damaged but stems/trunks appear to be still alive. Lost three 2 year old Pittosporum tobira 'Variegatum' that were only just starting to fill out nicely and look good this year. And alas, my lovely two evergreen 5' Calia secundiflora trees have no signs of life under the bark. All leaves browned and dropped. I will be gob-smacked if they shoot out any new leaves. Sigh.
Much to my surprise, I was amazed the large clump of Stachys byzantina in the back garden made it through the freeze just fine! I always thought them to be very delicate! My Cercis canadensis (Redbud trees) are blooming, so no problems there. My Hibiscus syriacus seems to have survived as well. I lost all leaves on my well-established Cycas revoluta (aka 'Sago Palm'), but don't know yet if the trunk/roots survived or not.
It's just beginning to warm up in Texas, so I'm hoping to emerge from my emotional slump over this statewide vegetation catastrophe (not to mention the other effects) and get outdoors to trim, prune and perk up what I can salvage. I've always wished the last home owner had planted less of many of the plants she chose............mother nature is now allowing me to re-design the gardens around this place more to my liking. Must try to look on the bright side and see the positive in this nightmare.
Old compost sacks to recycle
Weeds and weed ridden soil into the brown recycle
Same with old grapevine clippings
Turf from last weeks planting into turf stack
Last years potato soil into wall bed
Cut lawn on longest setting
Moved tyres (used for potatoes) to corner stack
Shifted 50l ericaceous to back
Shifted 200l wood chip to middle
Collected bricks
Swept path
We had a really bad winter a few years ago and killed of lots of specimen plants but you are right to look for the positives and redesign