I haven't had to do this in many years, maybe decades, where I ran around my garden with plastic bags, sheets and landscape stakes bundling up my plants against the expected frost. Usually it is safe by Mothers Day to plant annuals in the Chicago area, but every once in awhile we get caught.
I remember my last experience in a hooded raincoat with sleet beating down on my head laying sheets everywhere in my old old house garden, with my husband behind me placing bricks to hold them down. I am not too worried about the geraniums, petunias, ageratum and pansies as they all can take a patchy frost. But impatiens, tender vegetables like peppers, tomatoes and basil will succumb to anything near a frost.
I wanted everything to look so nice for today as I am hosting my daughter's birthday and Mothers Day for several relatives. Well, it will look like a Halloween Party with all of the black plastic bags I have everywhere! I am not going to remove them as there is a real frost warning for tonight. Notwithstanding the work of replanting everything but the expense of the single pot annuals is a downer. My garage is filled with plants that I had not put in yet (thank goodness), my car trunk is filled with the plants I dug for the plant sale tomorrow with the Garden Club, and I even bought flowers today for the table.
I took my daughter on a Kitchen Walk yesterday and we had a really great time seeing several beautiful homes and kitchens in the area. She took the day off work for her birthday, we did lunch, and really enjoyed doing something we previously were never able to do because we were always working.
So when you think about it, in the scheme of things, how much does a little frost matter?
7 comments:
Can you believe frost at this time of year ...? Fingers crossed it doesn't do too much damage. Here it has been raining non-stop all day - a total wash-out!
The Kitchen Walk you went on sounds intriguing ... we have something called 'Invitation to View' over here - tours around private homes by the owners themselves - always a good afternoon out.
I hope you are having a lovely Mother's Day/daughter's birthday celebration Eileen!
Jeanne
x
It always amazes me when I read about the lengths gardeners in cooler/cold places go to in order to protect their plants. I had no idea gardeners were wrapping up plants in fleece and plastic until a few years ago. It's a source of fascination to me ... heating pads for seedlings, heaters for greenhouses etc.
It's not a commonplace thing here in my part of the world to do things like this ... we plant things under shade or out of the wind, but that's about it. It's just so amazing the care that's lavished on plants sometimes.
Well I do hope your day goes very well ... and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it simply because you're all together with those you love. The plastic will be of little importance.
Hi Bernie,
We are a little obsessed about plants in the colder areas because we go so long without seeing anything that looks like a flower, and there is not much except snow during the winter.
Where I live in the Midwest, we can have very hot summers with little rain, and then we become obsessed about watering. I hope you had a nice Mothers Day.
Eileen
Thanks Jeanne,
We had a great time today, and I really forgot all about my plastic covered plants.
We, of course, loved the chocolate birthday cake and homeade apple pies, and cookies and brownies. I will really have to work in the garden tomorrow!
Eileen
I took a risk and didn't cover anything. It was close, but no frost or freeze here. I was pretty confident our nice tree-covered microclimate would keep everything cozy even if there had been a light freeze - it usually does. There can be frost in our neighbor's yards, or even on our front lawn, but the shade garden is usually fine as long as the temps don't dip into the 20's.
Happy Mother's Day Eileen!
Hi Linda,
I probably didn't have to because I think it stayed in the high 30's here. We are only 16 miles from the city so we do not get quite as cold as further out.
I had so many things out this year. Have a wonderful day!
Eileen
Black bags and all, I think your day sounds perfect, Eileen! Happy Mother's Day :)
Post a Comment