How do I say goodbye.

to all my beautiful Brugs? I'm so depressed. DH said last night we only have about two weeks left before we have to worry about frost and I better start preparing them for the winter.I sat out on the deck last night watching them reach for the stars and cried.There's so many that are just starting to grow tiny buds and some in bloom now. I've got seed pods growing on several.Going to dig up and pot my two EP and the Butterfly today.I'll try to keep just a few of the large ones if I can talk my DD into using a part of her basement. I'll have to start taking cuttings of the ones I want to grow next year and start over again.I just can't imagine looking out the window and not seeing my Brug Alley and smelling that beautiful scent coming in the window.
If I had an extra room or a basement I'd fill it with my plants but I just don't.How do you all do it??????

hon, you have done such a marvelous job, I've been envious of you all year. You can do it again, you know you can.

I am with you Snow. This has been my first year for Brugs. I only got one bloom on one plant, but it has another 15 or so tiny buds on it. The other five plants didn't even Y yet. I am in a warmer zone and might have hope for those buds to finish but seriously doubt the rest will bloom. I have been putting serious thought into how I can keep them. They are from dear friends and I just can't seem to let them go.

Snow- when is your first frost date? You still have another month - don't you? Too bad they don't rent out heated greenhouse space like like they do storage space for junk.

Poppysue, I live at a higher elevation and we could get our first frost anytime after Sept. 1st. I just can't wait till the last minute as I have way too many to save.Even if I could afford to heat the GH all winter it still would'nt save the big ones as they are too tall now to fit in there.Many are over 7 ft tall.
Thanks tiG. I guess I just hate to start over.Never had plants bother me so much when it was time for them to die down for the winter.

Snow,
Why don't you cut them back to the first Y and dig them up and prune their roots to fit in a 3-gallon pot. Keep them stripped of leaves and barely water all winter. They could fit into a small area in your basement. That way you would have a good start in the spring, since you have such a short growing season.

Snow, can you foster them out to some of your neighbours for the winter and visit them on visiting days.

Know exactly how you feel. Everyone else has been having blooms. We had a cold spring, then so hot and dry, spidermites have been working on everything all summer, have lost some,also P. Fls. We usually get our biggest bloom in whole month of September, have to bring into basement full of blooms, smells heavenly all through the house, that lasts for about 3 weeks, then leaves fall, I never cut them back. Just barely water, hardly any light, one little window. They are ready to go when I bring them up in spring. Enjoy while you can, wish we could help.

snow..time to move farther south!!LOl...it will be another montha nd a half before frost here..although after our first frost it usually warms up for a few more weeks..so out come the sheets and some sdlide into the garage for a few days then back in business.I know what you mean mine are at their best in Sept.A select few are going to the gh at work this year..then I can take cuttings to put into my tropical planters downtown again next year.

You poor thing Snow! Your alley is so beautiful. I guess it adds to the beauty to know it is here for such a short time to enjoy!
I also am wondering what I am going to do with all these pots. I have them everywhere. Yesterday I was out back and wondering if I could get the DH to build a small greenhouse by Nov. But since he has never built anything ..............
and it would have to go over his precious lawn which he loves even though it is half dead and half weeds that I am always spraying to death!!

Snow, I think we should take a road trip to Cala's.................

Snow, dont give up. Follow Barbaras advice. Mme Blin has only little room in her basment - filled with almost 100 brugs.

It would be a good time to go on vacation say to Cala's, Arlene's, Eclipse's or even my house. I have ten with blooms or buds. I think I would be crying and that wouldn't be pretty. Heck it ain't pretty when I don't cry. LOL

But I have no basement. :( :( :(

Garage? I hear closets being used, guest bedrooms, under the kitchen table, behind the TV, you don't really need your laundry room, do you?, kid's bedrooms, attic, bathroom - something to talk to in there, DH's workshop.
Where there is a will there is a way.
You simply can't let these beauties go.

Snow, put them all in the kitchen then you have an excuse not to cook all winter.

snow, I used half my living room, my spa-tub, my bathroom counter, the laundry room, the kids bedroom, and every window in between.

I used my livingroom, a bedroom, spare bathroom, dinette, corner of the dining room (we ate buffet style and it was fun), heated sun room and I don't have a basement either in my century home. Don't give up Snow. Take cuttings just below the Y's for a head start next year. Prune down the roots and put them in smaller pots. Overwinter all of the ones with flower buds and seed pods. Take cuttings of all of the others. You and hubby can do it, we know that you can...lending moral support here.

monika said never cut below the Y.

We have a small two bedroom house that has my computer stuff in one of them. I took cuttings and kept them all over the house, in every window, under lights, etc. This year, I'm doing as Barb says and will move all the tall ones to the basement. Not much light there, but at least they won't freeze. We have talked about digging a root cellar. Not for anything but brugs. Wonder if that would work.

Snow
If you want standards then should would have to cut below the Y to retain a tree form. If you want a shrub form than it doesn't matter and you can cut above the Y and they will bloom earlier next year.

Save the pollen for early pollination next year. Another tip-placing a blanket over your trees or providing some kind of quick cover can keep a light frost from damaging your Brugs. This may allow you to get a few more blooms if the frost is just going to be a light one. I have heard of people actually leaving the sprinklers on all night during the occassional freak frost to keep their beauties from freezing. Never tried that method personally though.

it's been posted that if you cut below the Y, it will have to put out the full height growth to Y again. Can someone who has been growing them a while tell me?

I have standards, I NEVER cut below the Y. If you do, they put out multiple branches and every little dormant bud will sprout. I think what Joydie is saying is to layer below the Y and bring the whole top in?
Snow, you can dig them up, trim them up, wash all the dirt off them and ship them to me(UPS should work) and I'll keep them all winter and send them back to you in May. Cheaper than heat, lol.

oh, duh! sorry joydie, I was thinking the opposite!! :)

Cala,
Thanks, that's what I meant...sorry TiG if I was confusing you. I'm going to have to do that with some of mine plus strip the leaves from them. There is NO WAY I WANT TO DEAL WITH WHITEFLY or FUNGUS GNATS AGAIN THIS WINTER.

Well so far I've talked my DD into making room for about 6 in her basement, I've found an empty corner on each side of my computer cabinet, and I cleaned an old straggly Hibiscus out of the corner of my bedroom so I can put one there.Hmm, maybe I can fit two on each side of the computer. And I had a very nice offer from someone to overwinter them for me if I shipped them.Don't think I'll need to do that but it was sure nice of them.I haven't given up yet. You all are just the best.

I even know someone who takes them to their local college. The hort students study them, more importantly greenhouse them, take cuttings, and in the spring, return them to their rightful owner - all ready to start all over. Just a thought.

Well...I don't know why I am posting but I maybe confused! I cut off one of my brugs last year below the Y which was a Y and rooted it and this year it is blooming like crazy!

Am I missing something here! Duh!!!

just talking about if you want it to grow into a tall tall tree like monika's, don't cut below the Y. Yes, you can cut below the Y and root the top, but that will grow different. I misunderstood what Joydie was saying.

Okay...Thanks alot! @##^&$^^&

?

boy tiGples, i think that name for you is not even pronounceable!!

Thank Goodness she is picking on someone else now besides me!