@bede, your views are clearly out of line with most other posters on this forum, perhaps you should think on that.
I can only count a handfull of posters that I might have upset. Most of those would have been upset by the slightest thing. Having thought on it, I will continue to give advice that I believe to be helpful. In a manner that is consistent.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
A lot of my plants have also turned to a soggy black mush, Osteo's, Penstemon, Salvia etc, is it best to leave them in case we get a further frost or cut all the mushy bits off? t i a
Some of the plants you mention will not have survived, for other it will just be the top growth that has suffered. Unless they are an eye-sore, I would leave them until better weather.
location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand. "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
I leave dead top growth on if I think it'll give the crown some protection against future frosts. If it was collapsed and thoroughly wet I might take it off if I thought it might lead to the crown rotting. The leaves on my osteospermums are black but the stems are still standing so I'm leaving them for now. It might be a goner but maybe not, we'll see come spring. It was frosted last year and died off to ground level but grew back so it's not a completely tender one.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Maybe we don’t give enough credit to our plants and give up on them too quickly ,we turn to our gardening books etc which are full of what ought to be .Times are a- changing and what would have happened before ,doesn’t necessarily happen now and vice versa .I’m just waiting on the Spring time when my oh can get me out into the garden properly and we’ll see .Till then I’ll just watch the rain………
I have lost loads of stuff. Hardy ice plant (about 15 of) echeveria several I have had for years, gazania, some cordylines all overwintering (or not) in a cold greenhouse. Outside I have lost some hebes, hardy fuchsias, a few other things. It was -14 at one point though.
What it did for me is made me gasp and the incredible beauty outside. I loved it and hate mild grey winters.
Sorry to anyone suffering with heating bills, I do know it’s a huge problem.
Posts
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
"Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
a- changing and what would have happened before ,doesn’t necessarily happen now and vice versa .I’m just waiting on the Spring time when my oh can get me out into the garden properly and we’ll see .Till then I’ll just watch the rain………