Let it snow!

The flurries predicted by Alabama's weather forecasters turned into 2 inches, causing a great deal of difficulties for many of us.  I hope that you are safe and warm this evening.  

In spite of all the challenges is presents, I love snow.  Here is what my Alabama backyard looks like this afternoon.

Snow helps

In the ten winters that I have used my cold frame, I have only had to bring the plants indoors twice because the outdoor temperatures became too cold for it to maintain the interior temperature--both times have been within the last month!  I surrendered to the freezing cold once again this morning and have brought all the plants from the cold frame into the house. 

As I write, it has been snowing for 1 1/2 hours and we have approximately an inch of snow on the ground.  The snow helps insulate the outdoor plants so this round of cold air will not be as hard on my gardens as the "Polar Vortex" was a few weeks ago.

The cold "beat me" to my pipes--my outdoor faucets were both already frozen when I tried to open them.  

I'll take "snow" pictures for the blog later.

Stay warm, summer is coming.

Moss, moss everywhere

Sidewalk moss

My husband and I recently returned from a visit to the Seattle area, where his extended family has lived for many years.  It was my first opportunity to see this beautiful section of our country.

Rooftop moss

The Pacific Northwest is safely nestled between the Olympia and Cascade Mountain ranges with the massive Puget Sound running through the center of the valley.  This unique topography not only shelters it from the storms we think of as typical in the southeast, it creates a moderate climate with many cloudy, foggy, or misty days. 

I was fascinated by the seemingly endless variety of evergreen trees and the postcard-worthy vistas that appeared around nearly every bend in the highway. 

But what made me truly smile, was the moss.  It literally grows everywhere.  I saw trees with their entire structures

Moss lawn

covered in bright green moss.   It grows in flowerbeds and lawns, on sidewalks, parking lots, and rooftops.   Part of normal home and garden maintenance is the removal of moss.  My in-laws tell me it is not difficult, but definitely a nuisance. 

My brother-in-law, Bryan has finally decided to stop trying to remove the moss from his lawn.  He now maintains a moss lawn--it is soft, bright green all year round, and only need occasional mowing.  I thought it was awesome.

We survived the polar vortex

If you don't like the weather in Alabama today,  don't stress out, it will be different tomorrow.  In less than a week, our temperatures went from single digits into the low 60s.  

I took a stroll through my yard yesterday (after the monsoon-like rainfall) to see how my backyard looked after the dreaded polar vortex.  I am happy to report some relatively minor foliage damage, but overall, the gardens appear to survived just fine.  Of course, it will be spring before I will know if some of the tender perennials will return but I am generally pleased with how well everything did. 

Winter is not over. 

"Polar Vortex"--Part 2

The plan is executed.  While moving plants, I realized that I needed to do a couple more things to get ready for the freeze.  I emptied any container holding water (I keep dishes with water in them for the birds) and I topped off both of my bird feeders--they will need extra fuel to keep warm.   When the temperature begins to drop, I'll also allow my outside faucets to drip a little to help keep the pipes from freezing.

Now we wait . . . it is hard to believe there is a terrible freeze on its way since it is currently 59 degrees in my backyard--the warmest it has been in days!

There is an orange tree under those blankets.

Preparing for the "Polar Vortex"

Like everyone else around the USA, I've been watching the news of the approaching winter freeze with morbid fascination.  How cold will it really get?  What kind of wind chills will we experience?  How is this all going to affect my life?    I read one weather essay that has even named this event a "Polar Vortex."  I'm not sure what that means but it certainly sounds ominous.

Along with these questions, I'm also pondering the best way (if any) that I can protect my plants from these sap-freezing temperatures.   Today is the day to execute the plan.

First on my mind, are the plants that are in the ground.   Since they are already well-watered and I mulched thoroughly before winter arrived, I know I have done all that can be done to help them.  I know I will lose some of my semi-tropicals that were high risk to plant in my backyard.  Some of my hardier plants and shrubs will experience foliage damage, but with well-mulched and watered root systems, they will survive the cold.

Then, I have to consider my cold frame.  With blankets, it can hold a temperature about 12 degrees above the outside air temperature.   With lows predicted in the single digits,  I can expect cold frame temperatures to end up around 20 degrees, which is no where near warm enough for the plants in there.  This afternoon, I'll be moving all those plants into the house for a few days. 

I also have large container plants wintering in my garage.   I've never actually placed a thermometer in the garage so I don't really know how much warmer it is than the typical outdoor temperature.  Although warmer than the cold frame, I don't have any confidence that the temperature will be able to stay above freezing for the duration of this polar experience.  They will be coming into the house too.

However, there is  no possible way that I can move our beloved potted satsuma orange tree into the house from the garage.  It is too tall, wide, and heavy for us to move completely indoors.  Although it is supposed to be hardy into the mid-twenties, I'm concerned that the garage may drop below that temperature before this freeze comes to an end.  This afternoon I plan to make a tent for the tree, wrapping it in the blankets that I normally use on the cold frame. 

Stay warm!  Good luck to all of us!

New Year's Resolution

I'm not very good with house plants.  My usual method of care is to leave them outside all summer, bring them in when it gets too cold outside for them, and then hope they survive until next spring.   The problem is me; I just forget to water them until I notice that they are gasping for a tiny drop of water. 

So, in honor of a new year, I am committing to monitor and water my house plants on a regular basis.   I've chosen Sunday mornings to check the moisture level of all of my plants and give them a nice drink of refreshing water whenever they need it.

A few years back, I bought this little gadget at a yard sale for 50 cents.  I can stick it down into the soil of a container and measure the moisture content of the soil.  This takes all the mystery away from whether a plant needs to be watered and even gives me an idea of how much water I need to apply.  This year I will actually use it!

Happy New Year to my poor plants.  I hope your plants will be happy this year too.