ALL OF THE LOCALS ARE HEAVING A sigh of relief as the big thaw has come and restored order once more. We're not used to extended snow and ice and temperatures that rival Alaska or at least Canada. We don't do serious cold. People wear shorts all winter around here. With temperatures dipping to record lows, (-9 in Eugene forty miles south of here) it was a 30 year event.
I strolled along my garden's paths and unwrapped the plants I had wrapped for extra protection. The findings look surprisingly positive, I'm happy to report. The worst casualty, this:
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| A two year old hanging pot of white-flowered Bacopa is pretty much toast. |
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| Don't you love my pink blanket? The box covered 'Frost Proof' Gardenina. Then the blanket covered the box. Then the snow covered the blanket. |
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| Voila, post the arctic blast, here is 'Frost Proof' Gardenia looking no worse for the weather. It's supposed to be hardy to approximately 5 degrees but I covered it just in case it got colder. I don't think it went much below 15. |
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| Not such a pretty blanket, this one went over my Melianthus major to protect it from the winter woes. |
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| Check it out post frigid temps. It doesn't look too shabby, does it? The yellow-leaved Cistus beside it looks okay too. |
My Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana) did fine with a six-inch pile of mulch. However, my Tetrapanax looked sad and my Cyperus papyrus was (and is) questionable.
I'm happy to be on this side of the storm and I'm praying that the rest of the winter is as normal as rain.
Now I'll have to go see how your plants are doing.
