Finally got a cold spell here in the TX Hill Country....Today is going to be a good day for working in the yard. It was actually supposed to frost/freeze but I really think that it didn't....My pepper plants just don't want to give it up and they are standing tall and pretty this am.....
What's on tap in your garden this week?
Ewwwwwww it's chilly ...
Hello Ruthie, we got down to 35 last night and they are predicting 31 tomorrow.
We put all our small plants in the garage.
I have been saving a lot of them to put on the wildflower slope, but the plants out there are not ready to be cut down yet, some of them are still blooming.
So if we can carry the little ones a while longer, we will be able to set them out during a good weather spell.
I hate to see the growing season end, but since we have no choice, we might as well accept it.
Josephine.
Yes I brought lots of plants in last night too...just didn't want the risk...We don't have very many hard freezes here in the hill country thankfully ...I too hate to see the seasonend but by this time, lots of cleanup work and renewal to be done and it sure helps that it is cooler....
The winds are really blowing out of the north now. It didn't frost/freeze here last night but probably will tonight. Sun is shining! I got all my tender plants put away yesterday. Moved a lot of lawn furniture in too since I knew it would be real windy. I'm kind of sad to see the growing season end. I will take off all the green tomatoes later today. I still have roses blooming. ;)
Lin
It was warm till around midnight, then the north wind started. It was 54 this morning. My poor plants are shivering in the wind.
Hey, the growing season hasn't ended, it's just that there are different things growing now! Sweet Peas (they are going to smell wonderful in the Spring!), Lobelia, Alyssum, Nasturtiums, English Daisies, Hollyhocks, Violas, Dianthus, Poppies.... soon there will Delphinium and Larkspur. Not all of them are blooming at this time, but they are growing, they are something to care for. And now I'm going to try some cuttings and seeds indoors, too. Something, anything, to help get through the cold months.
In the meantime, don't forget to enjoy walking in the rustling leaves if you have them!
We normally stay busy all winter, with cutting plants back, shredding, composting and mulching, we are just as busy as in Spring and Summer, just not as pretty, but all things have their beauty, we just need to look for it.
Josephine.
Thanks to Josephine I have cups everywhere with seeds and cuttings - I did pull a blanket over a few things tonight just in case we do hit the 32 mark but I hope we will stay right at 35ish again.
I refuse to give up on a warm winter!!
Well, its not even 8:30pm and we're already at 34*. I suspect we could be down to about 30, or less, by 10pm. I'm almost afraid to think of what it will be in the morn.!
Yeah, it's 36 here @ 10pm, the predicted low for us is 28. Yikes! I've got some plants to bring in...
This message was edited Nov 17, 2005 2:52 PM
Frostweed, Did you cover your Brug? Is it in the ground or a pot? This is the first year that I have plants to really worry about in the garden, so I am trying to figure out what needs to be covered and what doesn't.
Have to go home and look at everything to see how we faired. I think we were at 32 or 34 last night and supposed to be about the same tonight.
Thanks.
Hello Suggins, the Brug is in the ground and I did not proctect it at all.
It is close to a low fence with tall plants bihind it, but that is it.
I plan to mulch it a little heavier later on.
Josephine.
Well, the freeze last night put an end to my brug blooms. They looked so pitiful this evening. All the leaves had evidently been frozen last night and they are just hanging. It was 30 degrees at daylight this morning so it probably got a little lower. The grass was crunchy! Guess our little hiatus is over and winter is here. Just in time for Thanksgiving. Jenny
I brought this Begonia in just in time. It was out last night with freezing temp, but I thought just before dark about it and threw a cardboard box over it. This is only 2/3 rds of the plant. I potted up two others from it too. A friend had given it to me two years ago as a hanging basket and it never has done much. Last year I planted it under Elephant ears, and "Blackie" potato vine almost covered it. I missed it the first night I brought items in and just couldn't let it freeze. I went out in the yard when I got home from work today and uncovered a surprise! It is five times the size it was last year when I all but gave up on it.
Sheila
I got back from visiting my sons in California just in time to run around like a mad woman trying to get my potted plants, mostly Brugs, into the greenhouse. I was able to get all but my citrus trees in. I hope they survived because it got down to 23º Wednesday night. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays warm for the next few days. I was in such a hurry to get the plants in the greenhouse late Wednesday night that it's a mess in there now. I need time to re-arrange the pots to make room for my citrus trees.
Veronica, good to hear from you, I had been wondering if something was wrong, since we hadn't heard from you for a while.
Josephine.
Moi aussi!
Maggiemoo reminded me I just gotta have some Larkspar next year. Is now planting time for Houston? I was going to get some seeds from Lowe's. Are they OK, or does someone have a place to get better seeds? Happy Thanksgiving! jackie
Jackie,
Yes, now is the time to plant Larkspur in Houston, but I don't about seeds. I get mine in 4" pots at the nursery. I'll be picking some up next week at The Arbor Gate in Tomball. That, and some Delphinium.
Great, I am about 10 minutes from Arbor Gate, will check them out on Saturday - Thanks! jackie
Oooh! Just don't buy them all! :-)
I grow larkspur from seed every year...am still planting some as I clear areas out. I also do snapdragons from seed at this time of year and poppies. We got a light nip of frost up here west of Houston Monday night. Got the tops of all my fall bush green beans, but they are blooming lower down so hope they will make it. Stock is also a great flower to overwinter down here and smells sooooo good when it blooms very early spring.
How do you grow your larkspur from seed? Do you just sew the seed directly in the bed? Or start the seed inside? Or what? Sorry for all the questions, I just haven't had any luck with seeds, but am determined to get it right some day!