Snow Flurries - Good Grief

We've got snow flurries in College Park right now. It was 80 degrees on Monday... Sheesh.

I know what you mean wrightie, this has been some weird winter.

I'm relieved I can rest from the flurry of gardening I did earlier this week!! but had to bring things back in and cross fingers on early garden seeds.
(Ha ha subliminal use of the word flurry)

Thank heavens the forecast was off by about 10 degrees last night but it's supposed to go down to 22 here tonight. I don't even know where to start with protecting plants. So many things are up and even blooming. I really want to cover my dark purple lilac. This is the first year it's had a lot of flower buds.

Here's what Allan Summers had to say in this week's Newsletter about the coming cold weekend . He is our local "Guru" here.

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Because of the cold weather forecast this weekend for much of the East Coast, we are being inundated with calls about plant protection.

The flowers on some plants are going to freeze. Our early spring will not be as beautiful as it otherwise would have been. The flowers on crocus, cherries and magnolias will almost certainly be lost. So if you want to enjoy them I suggest cutting your most beautiful spring flowers, especially the tree branches, and bringing them indoors. The open daffodil flowers should be fine; although some might suffer damage right at ground level and fall over. These that do can be cut and brought indoors next week.

I doubt that there will be any permanent damage to most established plants because temperatures have been so cold in February and March, plants are less advanced than usual at this time. There may be some burn off of new growth. But even if the temperature drops to 20 degrees, the plants will quickly regenerate. Two plants are of particular concern: peonies whose foliage has started to emerge and Japanese Red Maples if their foliage has started to unfurl. These plants do not regenerate easily and should be protected. Additionally you need to protect plants with new growth that have been planted this spring. These often were grown in greenhouses or farther south. This new foliage needs to be protected and these plants may be so far advanced that they may perish if left unprotected. Newly planted truly dormant bare root roses should not require protection. However newly planted roses (and other "dormant" bareroot shrubs) with tender white or light green shoots require protection.

The best way to protect plants is to cover them with an old bed blanket or other heavy cloth held up with stakes and secured to the ground with rocks. Do not use plastic. Clear plastic can be particularly harmful. In some cases it may be easier to dig up a few container grown plants and temporarily move them into the garage, shed or basement.

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All I have to worry about from the above list is my well-sprouted Bleeding Hearts. I'll throw something over them.

Gita

Thanks, Gita. I'm not worried about losing plants but I don't want to lose the blooms from this lilac. I've been waiting three years to see it bloom more than one or two blooms.

I'm glad he addressed the peonies. I didn't know whether I should cover them or not. I have several that are up a foot or more.

Thanx for this info - I was worried about the perennials that has began to really grow the last couple of days - I covered everything I could! :)

Thank you, Gita. I was debating covering my peonies as they're only up a couple inches, but now I think I'll go ahead and do so just to be safe.

Snowing here now.

I think you have to keep in mind on where you are. Those of you in VA and such will probably have less of this cold weather than us further up North. Maybe not. It could be a sweep all up and down the whole east Coast. :o(

My Peonies are up just to the pips stage. They have not really started leafing out yet--except one--and that is in full sun exposure. I think I will just let them all be.

This is a good lesson to all those that run and buy all kinds of annuals early--just because the stores have them ALL out. They will ALWAYS have them early--just to push them on customers. If you are wise, you will bide your time to the frost free date in your area. Cheating by a week or so may be OK, or it may not. I would rather all the stores take the losses than me! This is something i wish more people realized! It is like candy in the window. Look--but don't touch!

Lets all be patient. Real Spring weather WILL come!........

Gita

thanks here too Gita- I have a baby jap maple in a pot that I have now protected, would have been bummed to lose it. gonnarun out look at peonies now...

It has been snowing all day on and off, I was in some white-out conditions going to work this morning. We are at 29º right now. There is snow on the Daffs and my flowering quince was starting to open. The buds on the weeping cherry are still tight so I think that will be ok. No buds showing on the lilac outside the kitchen window so that might be ok too.
I find my self going down to visit my seedlings in the basement a little more often since the weather has turned back the seasonal clock. I keep saying this too shall pass.

Chris

Well, I figured out soon enough that I couldn't cover everything... We may not get fruit this year (and it would've been the first year, too!), but our fruit trees will survive. I did cover a number of lilies and oriental hyacinths that were peeking out, and I covered some newly planted strawberries, put row cover on the lavender hedge to try to save it (looking pretty sad already), and DH helped me wrap up the Japanese Butterfly Maple after I read that they can be *killed* by a freeze when they're just starting to leaf out.

Fortunately, most of my new plants (phlox from gemini_sage and peonies, plus some overwintered columbines & others) are still in pots, so they just got tucked up against the side of the house for a little extra protection. My wintersowing containers got moved down to the patio, against the south foundation.

I just talked to another local DGer, and her SO is out right now covering their new asparagus bed.

I'm hoping we get a little extra cloud cover... the more clouds, the less cold it will get the next few nights, and even a couple of degrees could make a big difference at this time of year.

I'm just glad that the fruit trees, plants, etc. are my hobby and not my livelihood -- or I wouldn't be getting any sleep the next 4-5 nights!

My peaches and pears are blooming so I'm sure we won't see any fruit from them this year.

I got the lilac and peonies covered and everything else I could this afternoon. Every sheet and cardboard box I own is covering something. LOL It broke my heart, but I picked all the daffodil blooms. No sense in leaving them out to freeze. I also picked the buds on a handful of tulips - others had buds but just weren't big enough and I didn't have anything left to cover them.

It's been hovering in the mid 40s all day today but is now dipping into the 30s. Gita, we may be further south but those of us this far west don't get any of the warmth from the Bay and have the much colder nights of the mountains. They're now predicting a low of 20 tonight and 18 tomorrow night.

I'm so glad you posted that article. I have so many peonies and it would have been awful to lose all of this year's blooms or even foliage to the cold.

I learned the hard way the first couple of years I was here not to trust the first few weeks of warm weather. I was so used to gardening in zone 7 and being able to put tomatoes and annuals out earlier. I killed a garden full of tomato plants the first year planting them too early. It's always better to err on the side of caution.

YES!! In Gardening--it is all "live and learn".

Glad I came upon your post, hart, or I would have never thought of posting Allan's newsletter article. Just serendipity!!!!!!

I have not covered anything today. Too late now! I am going to bed now.
If it gets much colder, I will tomorrow. Oh well!

Hope none of you lose anything due tot he frost. I would hate to hear about all the pain and frustration.

I think all these people that shop for annuals at HD and Lowes (just because they have them in so early) are asking for trouble. They just don't know better..... They have YET to live and learn! I wait at least until the very end of April and even then I am a bit apprehensive.

Lets hope this is winter's last "Hurrah"!

Gita

AND: It's supposed to snow on Saturday!!

Gads. I'm a teacher, and I'm off school this week. I don't go away, because spring break is my garden week. My birthday this year, too.

It's cold every day except Wednesday!

This is ridiculous.

I ordered dogwoods over the winter, They're due on Monday. I have the holes dug. I guess they'll be fine as long as they are very dormant? Grrrrrrr. Who would have thought?

My sister drove from southwest Virginia to Charlottesville today and said it was snowing when she left home and she had flurries the whole drive.

Lasteff, stick the dogwoods in the garage for a day or two. It's supposed to start warming up on Tuesday.

Gita, even worse than the people buying the annuals are the places like Lowes and Home Depot and WalMart that get all these tender plants in in March and April and then leave them outside to die in the cold. WalMart here loves to get in a nice batch of something tropical like non-hardy hibiscus or mandevilla - something that won't take temps below 50 much less late frosts - and plop them down in the parking lot to be killed.

So glad I came upon this today. I covered the smaller J. Maple the other day but had left my large 'Waterfall' maple exposed. I'd hate to lose such a beautiful and valuable tree right outside the window. Guess I'd better cover it this morning. Since my roses and many other things are already on their second growth effort of 2007 (so many things had started to think it was spring already in January before the real cold actually arrived) I'm afraid they won't have enough stored energy to put out a third effort. So my yard looks hilarious. DH and I spent a couple of hours Wed. afternoon putting out tarps and covers. Then I had to spend a mostly sleepless night listening to them blowing in that horrible wind all night. This was going to be the first year for plums and Moonglow pears. Oh well! I think most of my apple buds are still closed enough that they'll survive. Such an adventure!
My 2006 garden pics show snow that fell April 5 last year. But we didn't those prolonged nights below freezing then.

I hope my plants make it -- I didn't protect any of them -- the new roses from the south, my peonies beginning to unfurl -- ugh.

I'd never heard of Allan Summers -- I looked him up and realized he runs Carroll Gardens, which I love (though I don't visit much because it is a long drive). Where does he publish articles?

This message was edited Apr 6, 2007 8:06 AM

Lastelf- I have several volunteer dogwoods in the yard which are basically still dormant, have not at all or barely opened any leaf buds.

Sorry to hear about all the things that may be damaged by this cold. It sure felt cold last night when I threw another sheet on a small tree at dusk. But I didn't really tent it to the ground so I don't know if that did any good.
I also hate seeing plants killed at stores. In fall when I was getting rosemary 'trees' there was a rack at Lowe's in nice little cover pots, but they seemed really heavy, and I had to worry about shipping weight. I tilted it and it was full of water from rain two days before; they must have sat out in it. How many people bought those drowned ones? I guess it's a message that we should support our local nurseries.

Happy,

Go to Carrollgardens.com and sign up for his free Newsletter. You will receive it on Thursdays via e-mail. He always features a new plant of some sort and, of course, all the products he promotes you cannot buy in the average stores. They are very good products, but they are expensive and they are his sponsors. Nuff said.

The best thing he does is have this call in Q and A show every Saturday morning from 7AM - 9AM on WCBM--680 on the AM radio. I have learned SOOOOOOOO much from listening to him answer everyone's questions! Hope you all tune in tomorrow morning or listen to it on line. I am sure he will have loads more to talk about re this cold weather and your Garden.

Lastef,
When you DO plant your Dogwoods, make sure you plant them a little bit up from the soil level. They will settle, but if they settle below soil level, they will, eventually, die. Be really, really careful with this!

Here's hoping we will all pull through this and still have all our beautiful plants!

Gita

Hi Chris.........Hope you are doing well. Here's a pic of downtown Albion taken yesterday afternoon.


early_bloomer

it's trying to flurry here now :-(

winter sow containers seem ok....haven't decide if i should move them to under the porch...i have 13/23 that have germinated which is amazing since i flooded them early on!
other things look ok, but last night was the first night....going to try and do a little more last minute mulching...not sure if i'll get a chance to cover anything or the best way to go about that

such fun & 3 orders of daylilies arrived yesterday....soaking & waiting....

Thank you for the dogwood help, folks!

Burrr...... It's miserable outside.

I'm on the way to Good Fridaqy services in winter clothing. Yuk.

Elf

Well, it's been cold & windy here, no snow yet-I tried to cover alot of things w/ bubble wrap, but it all blew off, so it's survival of the fittest! I'm not worried anymore about the JMaples, or even the figs (I wrapped them, but the wrappings pretty much blew off). The roses look ok, & even the containers I planted earlier in the week w/ euphorbia, dahliettas, lithiodora, fragaria, & violas look ok. I did bring in the pots of newly planted dahlias & EEs, although it may not have been necessary, & some perennials I didn't get a chance to plant, but I think most of the plants will pull through just fine...I'm relieved!

Hi Early! I was at work in Conneaut when you took that pic. By time time I got home 5:30 the roads were just wet. It has been snowing on and off all day today. I was going to go out and take a few pictures of my spring flowers in the snow but it's too cold out side for me so I bring chicken and staying in where it is warm.

Chris

1-3 inches of snow tonight & flurries tomorrow.....

:-(

Oh Gita, I didn't even think about my maples, I've been worrying about the roses.
I have missed you, we need to get together again this Spring.........whenever that is. I'm glad you have recovered from your surgery! It sounds like it was rough! I will have to D-mail you so we can catch up!
I have daffodils that were just about to open also, guess I won't see those until next year. The tulips might still have a chance. The roses are a crap shoot, I already uncovered them and fertilized, and they are all getting leaves. I will have to cover my maples in the morning, I hope that's not too late. Too many roses to cover again.
Good luck to you and everyone else!
Night, night,
Nikki

It's been snowing here for a while tonight. sigh

I woke up a bit ago and noticed that the light on back deck was lit. When I look closer I see that the deck is covered with snow. I guess you would call it a dusting. Foreceast said up to an inch is likely. Oh well.

This is to let you all know how new I am at this gardening gig. Until I began reading this thread, I hadn't thought about covering any of the plants in my yard. Oh well, like some of you, it will be survival of the fittest. Is it too late? Should I cover them the next few nights when it is below freezing? Oh well, I hope that I haven't lost too much.

If I lose the two bleeding hearts that I saw coming up the other day, I will be sad. I have been trying to get a bleeding heart to grow for going on three years now, and I was finally having success. Oh woe is me. ha-ha

My dad owned a small peach orchard while I was growing up. Hmmmmm, actually til about ten years ago it was productive and my dad's age began preventing the maintenance. I should have been aware that almost every year he dealt with the possibility of losing the crop due to frost. Most years turned out fine though.

In my mom's photo collection through out the years there was one picture that stands out in my mind. It is a photo from either the late 1950's or early 1960's. It was one of the very first color prints available. It shows my mom in a pair of brown striped "hot pants" standing beside a peach tree in full bloom and the ground covered with snow. If that print shows up when I go through my picture collection I think that I will resize and frame it. Maybe that will help to etch in my mind that in the early spring I need to be aware of frost.

Well, I hope that no one loses anything much. The little bit of reading that I have done on wintersowing gives me hope that the plants will know what they need to do in order to survive the cold.

Good thread.

Ruby

Ruby,

Your last paragraph sums it all up. One cannot run out and start covering trees and all kinds of other large plants. Mother Nature will take care of itself.

If you are worried about your BH, just put a large pot over it and put a brick on top. Quick and and easy! That's what I did.

We did not have any snow here. Must be the mountains for all of you further West.

Nikki, Yes we should! End of May would be a good time. You will get to see my garden in it's full glory! Everything will be in bloom. I LOVE that phase in my Garden!!!

Happy Easter to you all! Make the best of it.

Gita

We might have had an inch of snow, but it seems to be melting quickly. What a crazy Easter!
Gita,
The end of May sounds good!
HAPPY EASTER everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There was a light layer on the deck early. I got a few pictures before it melted. I was thinking this is a rare opportunity picture-wise.
Crabapple

Redbud
This is going slow. I might do more later.

something new to me called Siculum or Honey Bells- it's in my journal, but was really hard to find in plantfiles as the name had been changed. Anyway, the snow highlights the fun three sided , spiraling foliage.

This apparantly full blooming bridal wreath is actually covered in snow !

Lovely photos, Sally! Thanks! Sometimes I'm so busy worrying about what the cold is doing to the plants that I forget to take a breath and just enjoy the beauty of it. :-)

Nice work Sally.......Might as well make the best of it.

I agree Ruby. The ground had a good chance to warm the past couple of weeks so I think most plants will make it through just fine.

Happy easter to you too Gita.


Winter scene from this morning.........East Branch of Conneaut Creek


early_bloomer

Early Bloomer,

That looks like a bunch of sheep grazing....

It does look like sheep, Gita! LOL Thanks everyone for posting your snow pictures.