Home of the Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and other native plants for pollinators

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Gone With The Cold




I hope the weather forecast is wrong....we have a possibility of snow mixed with rain and temperatures in the low 30s later tonight and tomorrow. Is this Dogwood Winter, my Dogwoods are blooming? You can give it a cute name, it's still messing with my spring.



This weekend I must have been channeling my inner Scarlet, she's a part of every Southern gardener...at least among my southern garden friends. The weather warms up and we head to the nursery...who cares if the forecast calls for a slight freeze...we prefer to think about that tomorrow. ("I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow." Scarlett O'Hara, Gone With The Wind)) I am totally able to block out common sense... Tomorrow, when the inevitable cooler weather arrives we will be outside covering up all the plants we bought....as Steve Bender in Southern Living calls it...The Draping of the South .

This is just a demonstration, it's in the 40s and I won't drape until I know for sure it will get cold enough to damage my new purchases.

Speaking of denial, while visiting a nursery, look what I found, both in bloom and both hanging out in the back of my Subaru. You know you're a garden geek when you keep smiling at your blooming plants through the rear view mirror!



The interesting yellow plant is a mullein...Verbascum Sierra Sunset and her friend is Salvia Black and Blue..and boy is it black and blue. I did try to get a shot of the plants in the rear view mirror but I am not that good!

Let's all cross our fingers or knock on wood that we aren't really going to have a freeze.

Gail

23 comments:

  1. You made me smile! I do that too-just look at my plants and smile. Definitely a geek to do thru your rearview window!

    Do you like mullein? I let it grow in my yard and gardens. The roadside type weed. It is a biennial and I have some stories about it when it blooms later this year. I love it but many people don't. I tried the cultivated kind, but it died out. You would think I could not garden at all by the way I kill things like May Apples and mullein! I don't think it was so bad last night. Still hoping for no damage. I never heard the draping of the south. Love your demonstration.

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  2. Tina,

    I love the weedy variety and have it right by the front door, it is a big rosette of soft leaves... This variety won't live long but that's okay...it might make babies. We could all fill long posts with the names of departed plants.

    gail

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  3. nancy,

    It sure looks yellow to me although it is supposed to be coppery orange! I love the two colors together...cold, brr, I have a sweater on and warm socks. Keep warm.
    Gail

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  4. Well, Gail, of course we look at our purchases and smile! What gardener wouldn't? My friend calls hers 'groceries for the garden'; her husband says that when he sees the car parked around back of the house rather than in the front drive, he knows she's unloading groceries for the garden!
    I love mulleins, and Salvia Black and Blue, too, but it's only annual here. Does very well, though.

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  5. My goal in the spring is to not come back from all the garden centers and nurseries until my truck bed is full of plants!

    We are cold up here in Indiana this weekend, too, but fortunately not below freezing!

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  6. jodi,I like that groceries for the garden...the mullein that I love is a ditch weed and it's technically biennial...sometimes the salvia is only an annual here, too!

    Gail

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  7. Carol, ahh, a truck....how nice! I wouldn't give up my Subaru and it's big way back for anything. Have you filled up the back of your truck this spring?
    Gail

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  8. Gail, Expect the weedy type to return and return. I saw a whole field of it last summer. I tell you the drought never bothered it a bit. It was so lovely.

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  9. Tina,

    Yes ut I usually cut off the flower stem so it doesn't die!

    gail

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  10. 40? MMM, sounds wonderful to me. Of course when it stay 30 and below for months on end anything warmer is a welcome change! I run out and buy plants as soon as they're for sale too. Hmm, I guess it's a good thing that they haven't been on sale here yet....

    I too, have an inner Scarlet and I'm not a southerner. I can be a bit impulsive at times.

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  11. I went to the nursery too, but the stuff is in the greenhouse, until Wednesday. I covered the new fig trees, unwisely planted outside when they arrived in the mail last week, the canna, unwisely planted out and the new pot with lantana and sweet potato vine. Tuesday is our coldest night, so they say. Think warm thoughts.

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  12. With a nationful of garden bloggers channeling their inner Scarlets and everyone planting 'Black & Blue' salvia it's no wonder we all feel bonded with you, Gail!

    There were frost warnings for the Texas Hill Country, but not Austin itself - I hate those sneaky late freezes, too, and hope you and the draped garden escaped.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  13. cinj,frances and annie,

    Wonderful to read your comments, I am in MO with my mom and for now this is a quick comment, will post as I can! Have a warm week everyone,
    Gail

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  14. You have a good idea - I think I will channel my inner Scarlet! This weather is truly disgusting. It was so cold yesterday that I stayed inside. The forecast tonight is 32, maybe colder, and I am worried. We just can't have a repeat of last year. I think that would be so devastating to so many plants. Fortunately I haven't bought any new plants yet but I'll be at the nurseries this weekend with bells on!

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  15. Gail, Good morning! Where are you this morning? Digging plants to save from the freeze tonight? I am contemplating digging my new Japanese maples but whether I do or not, I have to move a ton of houseplants back in. That is what I get for jumping the gun-as always. Anyhow, good morning!

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  16. Have you ever heard of a plant called Nicodemus? I know that is not the real name of it but that is all I have ever heard it called. It blooms at dusk, the whole plant shakes and then the blooms burst forth from a stalk that comes out of the center of the plant, I have only seen it in yellow and it kinda looks like what you had in your car.

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  17. Ahhhh that sounds like a great and very interesting plant jillybean.

    Gail hope your mother is doing okay. Will say prayers for all.

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  18. Hi Gail,
    You've begun the "bring 'em home!" a little early for me! You made some great-looking choices! We don't usually plant around here for a while, yet. But I'd like to know how the hybrid mullein does. I'm only familiar with the native variety.

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  19. I covered some stuff last night, just the blueberries and tulips. We'll have to do it again tonight and maybe tomorrow then I hope we'll be home free. Or Frost Free. Just keep your new prizes safe, they look great by the way. Where did you find them at?

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  20. Everyone,
    An emergency trip to MO has made it impossible to save anything from Dogwood Winter....I will have to comment individually later!

    Gail

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  21. Gail, Be safe and best wishes for your mother.

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  22. Gail, I remember driving home 2 years ago in June with the back of my car filled with white roses. They were in flower and all of them scented so it was utter bliss. My car smelled good for a whole week. ;-) So I'm not surprised that you were smiling at your newly bought plants, everyone in his or her right mind would/should do the same. :-)

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  23. That's so true! Or like me, I'll drive really slow and careful so they don't move and stay nice and happy!

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