This is the first year I have used some perennials in my containers. Don't really want to plant them in the ground, and hate to see them die. What are your plans for these plants this winter? What do you do with your container plants? Don't get me wrong I'll bring most of the containers in for the winter,it's just this year I went a little overboard on the containers.
Plans for plants this fall?
Oooo, what do you have? I have a few perennials in pots... that I'm leaving out; hydrangea tree, rudbeckia, weeping wiegelia and a mixed herb container. I have soo many that will be brought in, 10+ brugs, 5 passionvines, a clematis, 4 hibiscus, and more. I take some palms to work for winter, and then the caladiums and elephant ears will dug and stored dry. Oh, canna's and epiphyliums, too. Oh, gosh, sounds like too much work! (haha)
I have glads, EE, passion vines, calla, canna, hibiscus, eucalyptus tree, night jasmine, snake plant, begonias, caladiums, and a few hostas that I'll leave out. I'll also want to take some cutting of the sweet potato vine, black eyed susan vine and other unknowns for next year. Rvnsbrk is sending me cutting of coleus.
When I shared my plan with the hubby, I got a cellar of WHINE!!!!!!!! O'no I'm not building that, no your not putting that in my living room, or grow light? Why you need on of those? etc. etc.
The office is a good ideal, I'm on the 12th floor downtown facing east, floor to ceiling windows.
I am in a warmer zone but leave most of the perennial pots out. Most in a more sheltered area as up against the house. I shelter some of the more tender perennials. Anything you can like a garage, shed, porch. If we have a hard freeze ( hard to imagine these days with 100 +) I cover them with old blankets, bedspreads, whatever is handy. If you get extended hard freezes, you might bank the pots with leaves, pinestraw, hay for insulation too. I think they will pleasantly surprise you.
Podster - Okay question! We left canna bulbs in the shed last year they were mush this spring. If I bring them into the garage (pots) do I need to keep watering them? example - EE, hosta and calla? We get some pretty cold weeks. Last winter I left the fountain going, thinking - Running water it will be fine, o'no it froze solid.
Ghia_girl,
I think I read somewhere you're supposed to dig up the bulbs, rinse them off, dry them out thoroughly, wrap them in newspaper and store them in a brown paper bag in the garage so they won't turn to mush... no watering....
gg, I have a little micro climate going at the s/w corner of my house. I have had canna bulbs (in ground) come back for 3 years now. You could experiment with some... leave a couple in the pot and bring in... I'd let the pot dry out thoroughly first... if you have any in the ground, try mulching and see. My BF lives by Melvern lake and I've had gladoli (in ground) return there for 5 years, on s/w side of the house... the glads I planted that were supposed to be hardy, didn't return... weird!
Yes, I agree on the dry storage, it is possible they mushed from rot?
On the other hand here, when there is a freeze (odd thought today) it is better to water bulbs and plants in pots. It seems to keep them from freezing as quickly. Friends also spray water on shrubs, etc. It will turn to ice and protect the plants from serious damage. Ice, what an idea! : ) pod
I have a lot of perennials in pots on my 6th floor balcony, faces north, and I just leave them out, heavily mulched with cedar bar chips. I do water some in the winter, about one a month. I protect my spring bulbs by putting the pots up next to the brick wall. I have clematis, hostas, columbines, ferns, can't think of what else. It keeps just fine with just a little watering. I also use WiltPruf on whatever faces west and gets a lot of wind, like clematis and roses. I'm in zone 5a-b and get a lot of wind.
Here's a Sweet Autumn clematis about 2 years old.
You can do it!
