I know that weather forecasting is an imperfect science and those weather folks are doing the best they can. But, because it is an imperfect science and they are sometimes wrong … really wrong, I’m bad about discounting their advice. For example, I’ve killed trees and lawns by trusting that the expected rain will actually fall. Conversely, I’ve sent perfectly good plants to their early demises by not believing that the temperature will drop below freezing. NOT THIS YEAR!!
Many of the plants on my back patio are new this year, having been purchased to replace those that didn’t make it through the first freeze last year. I’ve tried to be a wise and good plant mother to them, and they all look pretty good. So I’ve been following the weather rather closely. And, according to the weather app on my phone, Thursday night the temperature was supposed to drop to 30. Actually, it’s not supposed to get down to 30 until 6:00 a.m. the next morning, but the high temperature for the day was at 9:00 a.m. (low 40’s), so I bundled myself up and dug out my long cuffed gloves and went out.
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- The only plants that I’ve brought in until spring are one–this bougainvillea that I’ve had for two summers. I like it because it has such cute little petals. It won’t get enough light to keep blooming, but it will stay alive. It’s tucked away behind the Christmas tree right now. This window is a western exposure. It was enough last year.
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- And two-this Goodwin Creek lavender, which managed to live, outdoors, last winter. I’ve never had a lavender plant last the summer, much less through the winter. This one seems hardy, but I’m not going to risk another winter. I was thinking of keeping it in my bathroom, which gets more light than any other place in the house. But, it’s much larger inside than it was outside. I’ll have to look around the house and find another place, I think.
Everything else has to stay outside. We have a garage, which can keep the plants from freezing, but there’s not enough light, even if I keep the garage door up.
Several years ago, in our previous yard, I had some upright, white bougainvillea (yeah, I really like bougainvillea). Before a freeze, I went to the nursery to ask about how to protect them. “Put plastic over them?” I asked. “First,” the nurserymen said, “cover them with a sheet. That helps heat stay in. Then, cover that with plastic. Plastic alone can damage the plant.” I did that, but those plants aren’t really meant to be in the ground in Central Texas.
But, I remembered the “sheet, then plastic” advice, and went with that.
Sometimes, I can get away with just moving plants close to the house, because it’s a little warmer there, out of the wind, so I started with that.
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- I moved everything that seemed vulnerable up beside the potting bench. Those red geraniums *did* make it through last winter, outside, but they’re doing so well right now, that I’m being more cautious.
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- I covered all the plants with a sheet, and then a big plastic drop cloth. Fortunately, a little breeze wafted by and the drop cloth gently floated to the ground. Oh, unexpected. I put it back in place and anchored everything down at several points to keep it in place.
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- The coral bells are winter hardy and the pots of mint on the shelves will come back. The pot on the ground has lemon balm and lemon verbena and lemon thyme, all of which will come back in the spring. The big pot has sedum, which died back a few weeks ago and is happily at rest until it comes back, all on its own, in the spring. I’ve had this same plant for more than ten years.
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- The plant in the front is Red Dragon. I have killed one of these each year for the past several years, by putting it out in the garden where it didn’t get enough water. This year, I gave up and put this new one on the steps, where it gets watered all the time. I looked it up and discovered that it is winter hardy. Who knew! I should be able to leave it right here and if it does freeze, it’ll come back in the spring. I’ll let you know.
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- These pansies will go in the front beds after Christmas. They are winter hardy and do not need protecting.
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- This is the last photo of the impatiens, who will NOT make it through the night. I think.
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- The last pepper. It’s the size of my thumb.
Everything’s nestled all snug in their beds. The temps are supposed to be in the low to high 50’s for the next two days, but the overnight temps in the mid to low 30’s. And in a week, the high is supposed to be 70 with a low of 51. I think it’s just the beginning of my winter plant dance.
Flowers and grass fade away,
but what our God has said
will never change.
Isaiah 40:8 (Contemporary English Version)
Things like:
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
Luke 2:10-14 (New Revised Standard Version)