At 4am I got up to look at the remote thermometers. It was 32º outside, 36 in the greenhouse. By 6 am it was still not freezing under glass but the outside had dropped to 28º outside. The sun came up and quickly warmed the greenhouse. There was still ice in the dog’s water at 9am.
This afternoon there are brown blossoms on Camellias but still plenty of tight buds for the rest of the winter. Salvia leucantha is burnt. Silvery undersides have rolled up on the leaves. One thing about Salvia, it rarely gives up. It sends up tentative foliage during every warm spell. I couldn’t tell whether blueberry blooms are killed.
No weeds seem to have been injured. There are always winter weeds looking green. Chickweed and Florida Betony will disappear when the sun gets really hot and the ground warms. Meanwhile, I pull Florida Betony almost daily and can never get it all because of the thick roots. Chickweed is hit or miss, I hope to keep it from smothering emerging larkspur and poppies. Corydalis outsmarts chickweed by coming up at the edges of stones where chickweed failed to venture.
I expect the huge dandelions that I dug and turned upside down are dead now, not from cold but from drying out with the root exposed.
One more night at freezing temps and clouds should roll in again, bringing warmer weather. Daffodils that were open were still bright in the sunlight. A few winter perennials and bulbs are as hardy as winter weeds.
Sweet Alyssum and Bath’s Pinks in shade and sun.
Roman=type hyacinths are undaunted by chill.
So far the predicted high of 51º has been just that. Tomorrow’s another day, Scarlett.
Feb 18, 2013 @ 07:18:09
Love the care I hear in your post for your flowers…This is the hardest time of year…up and down in temps…Hard on us humans as well…ha, ha!