A New Plant Zone Map

January 25, 2012 at 6:18 pm (Gardening)
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“A New Plant Zone Map”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

The USDA has issued another plant zone hardiness map, and many areas are now in warmer zones. The area where I garden, about 30 miles north of New Orleans, has been nudged from zone 8b to 9a. You can access the full info for your area here.

 

 

This move does not surprise me, but I still am not going to trust that zone 9 completely. While it is true that our winters have been milder in general, we still can get a very hard freeze that will kill the plants that need a true zone 9 to survive. In the winters of 2010 and 2011, I lost many plants to the cold, and I know this will happen again.

I have always felt that my garden may have the summers of a zone 9 or 10 and can have the winters of a zone 8 even if it is only for a very short time. Tender perennials that survive in my sister’s garden (in the New Orleans area) will often succumb to the cold in mine. So, while I welcome this new map as guide and maybe as the years go by a true reflection of my climate, I still will garden with the idea that a zone 8 winter is likely and be careful about what I plant.

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Perfect for Valentine’s Day

January 24, 2012 at 6:22 pm (Shrubs)
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“Perfect for Valentine’s Day”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

It has just started blooming and will be perfect for Valentine’s day. It is not one of my flowers but my neighbors. On our adjoining property line is a large camellia bush with the prettiest red peony-shaped flowers. Every year in late winter it will start to bloom, and I am welcome to pick as many flowers as I want.

 

 

I usually wait until February before picking any of these frilly, red camellias to bring inside. Come February 14th, there will be a big bowl of these beauties setting on my dining room table. Isn’t it wonderful to have neighbors who share?

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Spring Is Here?

January 22, 2012 at 6:31 pm (Flowers)
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“Spring Is Here?”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

For the last three years, I have posted about a sure sign of spring arriving here at my home near the Gulf Coast. That sign has been my neighbor’s redbud tree. Whenever it bursts into bloom, cold weather is over. We may still get some chilly weather, but no more freezes or near freezes. Last weekend while working in my back garden, I thought I saw a little purple-pink over in her yard, but I thought, no, it’s too early. A quick walk over confirmed the first show of color.

 

 

All this past week, we have been having mild weather and plants are waking up. I noticed last week in New Orleans where it is a tad warmer than we are, the Japanese Magnolias are in full bloom. Well, yesterday, the redbud was in full bloom. Just gorgeous.

 

 

Since it was a little overcast this weekend, it was nice to have these pretty flowers to brighten the landscape.

 

 

The mild weather was a blessing this weekend. After working all week inside, I just can’t wait to get outside in the garden. Several chores got done – planting some daylilies, cutting back the bamboo, etc. Checking out the garden showed that a few gladiolas are already sprouting, and other signs of life were all around. After weeks of cold weather, it looks like we will be welcoming an early spring.

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Showing Up Early

January 16, 2012 at 6:44 pm (Bulbs, Roses)
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“Showing Up Early”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

Warm weather has returned, and it has brought some spring flowers. Most of the ones that have shown up have come up earlier than usual. Considering the consistently cold temperatures we have had until just recently, it is surprising that they are blooming already.

The forsythia is showing a few flowers before its expected time, and a few of the small narcissus bulbs have opened flowers, but the one that really surprised me was the white Lady Banks rose. I pulled up in the driveway late Friday afternoon and couldn’t figure out what that white “thing” was on the rose canes. A quick walk over to that area, and I just couldn’t believe that a Lady Banks rose had opened up. This rose blooms in the spring, but never in January. Though it was only one small flower, it did lift my spirits because nothing beats spring flowers after cold winters. All these early flowers is just a teaser of things to come.

 

 

The first of the spring narcissus (paperwhites don’t count because they start blooming in November here).

 

 

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Safe

January 14, 2012 at 7:39 pm (Cold Weather)
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“Safe”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

Winter here on the Gulf Coast is usually a series of ups and downs on the temperature scale. Below freezing one day and in the 80′s the next, and a few days later – freezing again. When temperatures fluctuate like that, plants can really be damaged or lost completely. Gardeners have to scurry around trying to protect plants when we get a cold spell following a warm period.

This year has been different. We have pretty much had consistently chilly to cold weather. Once cool weather settled in, we have had only two short warm-ups which means that plants have stayed on the dormant side. Many of the plants that flourish in our fall and winter gardens are really tender perennials which can succumb to freezing weather, and last night they were put to the test.

We had about eight hours of below freezing temps, and everything seemed to come through fine. While it only got down to 29 degrees, with that many hours, I was afraid I would lose a few of the more tender plants. But, so far, everything looks safe. Oh, some of the salvias have a few leaves burned and the coleus that was still trying to hang on are gone, but many plants that die back every winter are still up and look good. I believe this is the first year that the fire spike has not died back. Even my hydrangeas still have leaves hanging on.

However, I was really worried about the gerber daisies. The red ones I have in the entry garden are a little protected by the house, so I was only mildly concerned about them, but the yellow ones I planted this past summer are in the circle garden which is away from the house and in an open area. Since the forecast changed Friday afternoon to a colder and longer freeze, I did not have time to even cover them with mulch.

I was so happy this morning to see that they made it through the night with no problem. The red ones were fine.

 

 

And, so were the yellow.

 

 

Since the second week of January normally is our coldest period, I am thinking that we just might make it through this winter with lovely, dry, chilly weather and no plants lost. With no super cold weather in the near future, the plants may just be safe for this year.

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Something New

January 10, 2012 at 8:38 pm (Gardening)
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“Something New”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

It is always good to try something new. If it is a success, it is wonderful, and if it is a failure, you know not to do that again.

Something new I tried in the garden this past fall was some ornamental cabbages that I put in the circle garden. In the past I have planted pansies, violas, snapdragons, and bluebonnets in this garden area. My favorites had been the violas and pansies, but the last few years they just didn’t do as well as when I first used them here. They didn’t last and seemed to melt before they grew or bloomed. Since this was so discouraging, I had almost decided to not put anything in the circle garden when I came upon some ornamental cabbages at a small, independent nursery.

They were tiny little plants in six packs, and it was hot and dry weather not good for fall annuals, but I planted them any way. At first, I was just happy they didn’t die, but then I was concerned they stayed green. The tiny plants, about the size of a silver dollar, grew and grew, however, they remained green. The weather grew colder, and there even were a few light freezes, but still little color. I kept looking at the plant tag, wondering if mine would remain green.

Finally, a tinge of pink appeared which soon expanded. I guess I was just too impatient. Now, they are the size of dinner plates with lovely pink centers.

 

 

When I planted these cabbages, I really didn’t have high expectations for them. Now, they have definitely surprised me. I am so glad I gave something new a chance.

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Being Careful

January 9, 2012 at 10:19 pm (Gardening)
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There you are just going along your merry way, when bam you are brought up short. Hopefully it turns out okay. Sometimes we don’t deserve the good luck we have.

It all started late Saturday afternoon. I decided to go out and work in the garden. Since it was late, I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot I could do before it was too dark outside to see. I started cutting out small trees that have popped up between our property and the vacant property next door. As I pushed to do just a few more and as it became dusky and a little hard to see, it happened.

I tripped and fell. Luckily I wasn’t hurt, but I did get a scare. The clippers I had in my hand scratched just under my eye and continued onto my glasses. I have a pretty bad scratch and one small gouge on my eyeglasses and just a small scratch just under my eye.

If I would not have been wearing glasses, the clippers would have hit my right eye and gouged it badly. I am so lucky all I got was that small scratch because it could have turned out so differently. One small thing can change your life forever.

So, this is a reminder to be careful when gardening. Watch out where you walk so you don’t trip. Remember all those safety rules when using equipment. And, most importantly, don’t work outside when it starts to get dark, and you can’t see.

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Desperate for Something Growing

January 8, 2012 at 7:46 pm (Gardening)
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“Desperate for Something Growing”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

You know it is bad when you are wanting to see something/anything that is growing so badly that mushrooms catch your eye.

Even in the South there is not too very much that is growing in winter time, but lately, we have been having a lot of mushrooms show up. I think it is because with the high summer temperatures now gone, the moisture in the ground is able to build up and make conditions ripe for the mushrooms to appear.

One type that showed up a while back in our more woodland area is still hanging on. It popped up in late November, and while it is not in pristine condition, it has pretty much kept its shape. These mushrooms are hard, almost like wood.

 

 

I find these to be very interesting. As they grew bigger, they would encompass plants around them. This next photo shows a small volunteer ruellea completely surrounded. Even a pine needle got stuck.

 

 

These photos were taken in late November, and now, in January, these mushrooms are still around, darker and a little crumbly perhaps, but they have endured freezes and still are hanging on. Tough little guys, aren’t they?

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Divide and Conquer

January 7, 2012 at 7:53 pm (Gardening)
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“Divide and Conquer”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

I have never been one to make New Year’s resolutions, but I do try and set a few goals. The problem with goals is that they can be too large and never get accomplished. For example, last year I was determined to plant into the garden everything I had been holding in containers for months (and even years). I was tired of having to water them or bring them in because of the cold. And, while I did plant some things, there are still too many sitting around.

Another problem is those little garden jobs that keep getting put off until later. Of course, later never seems to come. That plant that needs to be moved, a trim of a shrub, all those little things that would take only about ten to fifteen minutes to accomplish.

 

 

Well, no more. Today, as I was watering around the patio garden, I saw (for the millionth time) a small clump of jonquils that I have been wanting to move for at least three years. They are now in a shady spot and don’t bloom but do come back every year. Moving them is one of those things you forget about as soon as it is out of sight. So, today was the breaking point because every time I see those jonquils, I get annoyed that I haven’t moved them yet.

Since there were other little jobs like this, I decided I had to get this under control. So, I walked around the garden and wrote down all the little jobs that I want, should, or must get done, and I came up with 42! These are all small things that should take no time to do. I think I should be able to do one or two every day after work before it gets dark or on the weekend when the weather is good for just puttering around before spring comes.

Instead of looking at all the jobs that need to be done, I’ll divide and conquer. I’ll only think about one, and having a goal of only one chore at a time just may be the trick to finally get plants moved or planted or rooted or pruned.

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Winter Rose

January 6, 2012 at 8:02 pm (Roses)
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“Winter Rose”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

A perfect winter rose is one of the nice things about gardening in the South. Even though we had a hard freeze just days ago, already a new rose has opened, and it is all due to our mild winter weather.

 

 

This wasn’t the only rose in the garden, either. Iceberg had a lovely white flower (though it was on the small side) and Mutabilis (Butterfly Rose) also had a few flowers showing.

Being able to garden just about year round is what helps keep me sane. I don’t know how gardeners in colder areas stand not being able to get out and see at least a few things growing.

Yesterday, as I was strolling around my garden, I was surprised to see a few little yellow forsythia flowers already showing up. I guess the quince can’t be far behind.

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