My poor vines got a little too cold last night. Ipomoea vines struggle to survive in anything under 50 degrees.
It's cold & blustery right now. I was at Pea's blog and I see she is having the same weather. It's pitiful, absurd, outrageous, ridiculous, unbelievable weather for June 5. I can't find the word to best describe my feelings regarding this change of weather.
I went out to survey the damage and to see if I needed to bring all the plants inside. I thought I probably should, but I just couldn't find the initiative to do it so I decided to just let them fight for their own survival.
After being inside a while and giving it a bit more thought I decided I should take the baskets down and put them in the garage. It's probably not going to frost, but it may get in the high 30's which is way too cold for most of my plants which are tropicals.
So one by one I hauled them down the deck steps into the garage, then I went back up the deck steps and back down and back up and back down and back up...........................you get the image.
Oh, by the way, EVERY one of my wave petunias turned out to be hot pink. So now I have hot pink and orange instead of purple and orange. There goes my whole color scheme.
There are plants all over the garage -- within an inch of the car.Plants that were too heavy for me to pick up were drug over to this corner close to the house for protection
and covered with plastic tarps.
I use anything I can find for protection. This metal bucket is covering a canna.
I put a big garbage bag over the standard hibiscus plant. I could only find one big bag, so I guess the second hibiscus is on its own. So far I have lost two of the 4 5-yr old standards that I have been overwintering every year.
On days like these I wonder why I bother.
Can you believe it? I was reading yesterday's post when you posted this one. I've enjoyed looking at your garden pictures. I too am in Michigan. This cold weather is something else after last weekend's midsummer temps. I don't bother with hanging baskets anymore ( except for the asparagus ferns that are protected on the porch) just for this reason. It takes too much energy to take them in and out until it decides to stay warm.
ReplyDeleteI love your garden. Everything is beautiful. And you have inspired me to go with more creeping phlox.
Hi Marie,
ReplyDeleteWelcome!
You are right. It takes an awful lot of energy!
Thanks for stopping by and especially for leaving a comment.
Isn't it just ridiculous?!! Last night I went to cover everything I could and like you, used whatever I could get my hands on to protect my flowers. I've kept it all covered today because we had snow flurries and stayed cold all day. Tonight they're saying more heavy frost. I'm starting to get bummed out about all of this too! xox
ReplyDeleteWhat a bummer that you're having such crummy weather! Moving all the plants does not sound like fun. I do think your baskets look pretty even if they aren't as planned!
ReplyDeleteWow, I just read that Pea has snow flurries?
ReplyDeleteThe weather this year has been so strange. We were sunny and nice and now we have very high winds. I hope your plants are able to survive all the changes!!
:)
Good grief, Zoey, you don't need more work! How rotten the weather is treating you, but I know you'll be glad later that you toiled so hard to protect your plants.
ReplyDeleteOkay, pink and orange baskets, I like it!
Sorry you are having such unseasonal weather. I'm sure it will be worth your efforts tomorrow. I just go by if it doesn't go below 32 (well in April/May).
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your lovely plants.
I feel your pain,Zoey! My plants are languishing on the deck, as well. I haven't even attempted to put any annuals out in the garden and I'm still waiting a couple more days to put in the pole beans.
ReplyDeleteOrange and Pink! Zowee!! Will they ever scream color for you! Can't wait to see the pics.
We got cold weather too, maybe not as cold as you and definitely not as cold as Pea. My plants survived without special care, but I don't have any tropicals -- except coleus I guess, but mine survived. I keep most stuff in sheltered areas by the house anyway. What I did love was the gardening weather during the day. Brisk and sunny, much better than hot and humid, IMHO. (Though it certainly could have been a BIT warmer.)
ReplyDeleteYou're very thoughtful and your plants are well looked after. I love the metal bucket on the canna. :)
Hi Zoey,
ReplyDeleteRandy said to tell you that he created the whole image on my blog header (from the pic I took of my hollyhocks) using photoshop. Hope that helps.