Winter is Arriving a Little Late

Camellia japonica

Who can complain about Florida's winter weather? Not me. It's my favorite season of the year. This winter, like so many others before this, we have had gloriously mild weather. Just the right amount of rain when needed, abundant sunshine and perfectly cool but not cold has been our daily report. Until now.

A view across the top half of the back garden. February 2015

Cold hardy Old Garden Roses 'Old Blush' in bloom February 2015

Tomorrow morning in most of Florida including West Central Florida where I am it all changes. That northern blast that has brought record lows to our friends north of us is bearing down this far south with all its might.

Not as much tree cover in this garden as my old garden. Philodendron 'Rojo Congo' are too big to move. Hoping for the best.

It's been predicted we'll see the temperature drop to 32°F and as low as 27°F for about 6 hours. Just long enough to damage the crops of farmers and certainly enough to turn Florida gardeners' tropical plants to mush. Does anyone remember the winter of 2009 or 2010? They were worse.

Lots of Salvia 'Wendy's Wish' will be wishing for blankets they don't have tonight. 

I'm a bit of a weather-holic. I watch the hourly forecast on a weather app and online. I've been hoping the forecasters were wrong or just exaggerating because, well, it happens often. Even if they are wrong by a few degrees or hour or so, it's likely we still get freezing temps (not sure how low) and for several hours.

These pots will be left out in the open. They are a mix of perennials, annuals and herbs. Most are cold hardy.

Still. We can't complain. There are far worse scenarios in life than a few plants looking brown and ugly for a while. Most of them will not die. They will come back from the root.

African blue basil will not like the cold temps. My beautiful Queen Emma Crinums and Cordylines will fold under the pressure also.

Selfishly, I wish this wasn't happening. Especially so late in the season when everything is looking so pretty. Selfishly, I wish I didn't have so many new plants. I started most of my herbaceous perennials from root cuttings and they've only been in the ground since last June/July. All of that can be overcome in the long term. 

Lots of cold-hardy oaks, palmettos, azaleas, Indian hawthorn and giant liriope in the front gardens. 

Looking on the bright side there are loads of great cold-hardy plants in this garden also. AND... since it is so late in the season, we won't have to look at brown for very long. We can cut it off in the next week or two. Our last chance of frost date is 2.15.15. Oh, wait. That was 4 days ago. Ha!!!

Front garden azaleas are blooming so pretty right now.

If this cold weather wasn't right on top of us we would have all been out in our gardens this week with pruners and loppers in hand cutting back overgrown winter foliage. Old Man Winter seems to be mocking us visiting us so late.

I hope you stay cozy and warm until we see better weather. Here's some reliable researched information on what to do for your plants when the cold weather comes. 

One thing for sure. My blue bottle tree won't freeze tonight. 

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Could Someone Please Cue the Fat-Lady to Sing??

Ornamental cabbage in container gardens ~~ a tough winter planting even in low temps.

Winter is certainly making its distinct mark this December. Snow is falling (not here) in record amounts all over the country. The weather map seems to be covered in white reaching even as far south as north Florida (as Darla reports).
Tri-color Stromanthe is a very tender, colorful perennial which needs protection from freezing temps.

Gardeners in central Florida had our fingers crossed that the last two (early December)blasts of arctic air might have been a fluke. That perhaps our typically mild Decembers and winters would escape future dips into frosty temps since it came so early.

Understory of front garden planted with layers of hardy foundational plants mixed with natives, Florida-Friendly perennials and a few tropicals.

Alas, it is NOT over. Instead we are braced for more freezing temps along with windy, blustery weather the next few days. Not snow. But for this subtropical climate this kind of cold is a huge threat to crops and tender foliage.

Container planting in the center of circle garden ~~ mixed with hardy and tender plants. It is wrapped in a blanket because it is open and exposed to the elements.

Refusing to panic and scramble at each weather report (like I've done so many times in past years) I'm urging the majority of my plants to get (somewhat) hardened to this abnormal cold.

At this point the chances are increasingly unlikely. Wishing still ... after all if I spoiled them too much by keeping them covered and warm they might not be as tough right?

The vegetable garden has definitely taken a beating. Every vestige of warm season crop has been burned by low temps.

A few of the tender tomato plants were covered as there was no chance they would survive without extra care. Even so leaves were burned but the eager tomatoes remain. They are wrapped up tightly again with high hopes of a harvest eventually. IF things get back to normal.

At first sight of the overall winter damage one would not imagine to see perky lettuce, tasty spinach, thriving broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes. But a closer look beyond the brown and shriveled plants reveals the cool season edibles hanging in there. Continuing to supply the dinner table with freshness in the midst of these crazy weather patterns. We always have to look for the bright side!

Far back gardens underplanted (what's visible in this photo) with selloums, variegated shell ginger, saw palmetto, xanadu, variegated aztec grass~~ all of it mostly protected by oak trees.

Throughout the gardens there is damage here and there. It's kind of random and mostly to be expected. Green is looking very pleasing to the eye these days.

Tropical pathway in back gardens struggling to look perky.

The large oak trees in front and back serve as a cover of insulation allowing some of the tenderest plants to defy nature under its canopy. So far.

Others are simply suffering from a haggard and fatigued appearance as they struggle to stay warm enough to keep from fainting all together.

As much as we wish the fat-lady would go ahead and sing signaling this crazy winter is OVER ... reality check indicates we may be in for a long season.

All in all we're thankful for the stalwart plants that aren't giving up easily. It is winter!

And in typical Florida fashion we will endure these few days of freeze and frost warnings and by weeks' end temps will be back up to the 70's with plenty of our warm sunshine to live it up outdoors! That news has to brighten anyone's world!

Mother Nature's Switcheroo

Last week when the reports came that freezing temperatures were on their way for Florida I wasn't convinced.

Maybe it was just high hopes. But so often a degree or two makes a big difference. And so does my tree cover.

What are the forecasters saying today? We haven't seen cold weather like this in December in twenty years.

Strong winds slamming plant-life around all day and night are battering leaves and limbs.

At this point I kind of hope they keep blowing. Maybe it will be the wind that keeps the temperatures from dropping down to the twenties.

Regardless, as much as I resolved not to scurry around covering plants ~~ I did it today.

Just a few ~~ but I felt compelled. I just had to help some of them out. Maybe they can make it through these next two nights bundled in blankets and maybe ... just maybe we won't have anymore of this out-of-the-ordinary weather even though winter hasn't officially arrived.

I'm feeling it for the strawberry growers. The fruit is not ready and they can't afford to lose the crops now.

There are many signs of stress already in the garden from this weird weather.

Tomorrow promises some very different views if the temperatures drop overnight as predicted.

This time it's likely we won't escape Mother Nature's switcheroo to winter while it is still officially autumn.
The garden will recover and life goes on. Of that I am certain.

We'll just have to learn to look at the damage a lot longer while waiting for spring to come.

How Cold is Cold to a Floridian?

Ask any of us. Just as diverse will be the answers as the number of us asked.

There really isn't any wrong answer. We all have our preferences and reasons to back them.

We are a spoilt lot, for the most part, being very comfortable with our wonderfully mild winter climate.

For me, it is all about the plants.

If it gets too cold for the plants to survive happily then it is too cold for this Florida native. Not because I don't personally like the cold. I do.

When the temperatures drop to 40's and 50's (which is lots chillier than we get on a regular basis) it is energizing. It just gets my blood moving. It makes me want to don a favorite knit scarf and snuggly sweater and head outdoors.

In Florida the sun shines so beautifully even on our cooler days. There is nothing more invigorating than crisp blue skies and a frisky chill in the air to get some serious gardening accomplished.

Alas, the north winds are blowing across this great country and they have reached all the way down into my beloved sub-tropical peninsular with warnings of freezing temps for the night hours.

I'd be so pleased if we could have made it through December without dropping to the dreaded 32 degree mark. After all most of us know December is very early for such warnings. It's not even winter yet.

Oh well. It is what it is and there isn't anything we can do to change it. The farmers and growers have it much worse than what my little garden might suffer.

Today was a brilliantly sunny day, windy and yes, 50's. Which made it a good day to get the camera & catch some glimpses of today's conditions. Just in case a few things look differently tomorrow. :-)

We'll let the chips fall as they may for the next couple of nights. That's not to say we won't be hoping for the best. But no need to get our dander up over what we can't control.

Except for the tomato plants. There's no doubt they needed some extra layers for protection. All snuggled up under drop cloths they are tonight. So early in the season. But oh, how they want to come to maturity and turn into red, ripe fruit for winter scrumptiousness. I just know they do.

The Winter That Was

It didn't bring snow drifts or ice but this year winter, with its chilly breezes and frosty nights, reached all the way down into the Florida peninsular like it meant business. Maybe just to remind us these colder-than-normal-seasons do come in cycles. The last one was in 1981 and some are reporting it was 1978. Needless to say several record lows have been broken.

Winter has steadily delivered temperatures day after day under 60 degrees (which this gardener happens to LOVE~~for the record~~it's perfect gardening weather).

This is the season I look forward to growing some varieties of flowers that in other seasons won't tolerate our heat zone. The gazanias have been faithful to brighten up the veggie garden since November. Applause to them for their exuberant colors and perky faces during the winter months.

My dear blogging friends have helped me learn better how to transition in and out of the season with a more graceful attitude toward winter's frosty results.

Rather than my usual response of impatience and frustration a gradual appreciation has evolved in my thinking. I can honestly say I'm learning to look at the dead and lifeless landscape with an attitude that embraces the unpredictable changes in the garden. Afterall my northern friends (anyone north of central Florida) are left to endure winter's sting in much worse ways than we ever will.

This is the first winter EVER ... really... EVER that I've waited past March to prune back the dead and brittle shrubs and perennials. This year they sustained night after night of freezing temps back in January.

At this point I feel even better about that decision to wait after so many subsequent cold-blast pushes our way. Even this March night... the tomatoes are covered with a freeze cloth. Not a likely or common event in March.

And... this is the first winter EVER I have seen the little birdies in my garden puffed up and perched in stillness bracing against the cold.

Seed heads were left on brown lifeless stalks for what my northern friends call "winter interest". A term I'd never heard of nor could have imagined prior to blogging.

It's important to note here that native-born Floridians don't typically endure any amount of deadness on our flowers or plants. I guess because we can yank them out and replace them readily with new stock from our year-round garden centers. We're a little spoiled that way.

Certainly the brittle branches and mangled up mush of some of my tropicals have not been the most pleasing to look at for these few months. But, truthfully, embracing this waiting period before pruning, rather than hastening to it at the first warm reprieve, has brought with it a certain peace and calmness. Accepting it for what it is and realizing there isn't anything I can do to change it.

Maybe because all my energy for the last six weeks has been directed toward restoring the vegetable garden and building a new berm on the north side of the back yard I've been distracted enough with plans and designs not to get anxious over all that needs to be pruned.

Regardless, the pruning hasn't been done for spring and it is March! With patchy frost predicted for the next two nights I put it off this week as well.

At the very same time that winter doesn't seem to want to release its hold there are some very bright and cheery spots in the garden. I'm grateful for them as we begin the transition to spring.

Maybe next week it will be time to let down our guard against these plunging temperatures and get out those pruning shears.

One thing for sure ... we can now say we know what it's like for Florida to experience winter.