Plants And Surviving Last Winter

[stewfox]

I have notice a number of climbers some lavender and other plants do not seem to have survived the last winter

I perhaps over the years (with milder winters) have become indifferent to their welfare

Reading one of the lables it states 'will tolerate light frost'

Another (a climber) states 'put straw or the like around its base'

Given these things 'survive' a few years without any such help, i guess all the snow and ice we have had killed them off

My own fault, however for next winter Ill make sure I will follow the instructions and better pretect some of the plants

Anyone else notice this ?

Edited April 18, 2009 by stewfox

[Essan]

No, nothing died in my garden, including some that are supposedly not frost resistant!. But then apart from a few nights in January it wasn't any colder or snowier than other recent winters - and indeed has been milder than usual since early Feb.

[jy]

Stewfox a veteran of many feb the 9ths like me well its been much colder here this winter and a sad toll has been taken .As stated many lavender have gone along with laverteria ceonothis perennial verbena and more besides. What i find though is that many designers when doing alleged cottage gardens now in the name of being different are planting things thst that are to say the least risky,helps make a reputation but leaves the customer out of pocket when the designer is long gone.

[Loraine Bennett]

Yes I lost a lavender, but nothing else plantwise, but what I did lose were several large terracotta pots! I was constantly amazed at my monster

of a honeysuckle, which when the frost appeared seemed to wither and droop, and when the temps picked up miraculously perked up again.

When we had the heavy snow and prolonged cold spell, I really thought it was a gonna, but no it's sprouting even more profusely since we've

had the rain and warmth, a real survivor!

[jethro]

Yup, me too. Lavender, Delphiniums, Verbena, Passion Flower, plus several limbs lost on trees due the weight of the snow. Quite a few pots and the roof of an out building.

It was a good winter though, worth a few losses to wake up to deep snow and the thick hoar frost in the New Year was fantastic.

[stewfox]

No, nothing died in my garden, including some that are supposedly not frost resistant!. But then apart from a few nights in January it wasn't any colder or snowier than other recent winters - and indeed has been milder than usual since early Feb.

Where do you live ? Not worcestershire I assume which probably had in access of a 100 frosts this winter 3/4 weeks of snow cover etc

[SP1986]

Only one plant died in my garden last year and that was a Livingstonia chinensis palm

Plant that survived included:

- Yucca elephantipes (houseplant Yucca)

- Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) which remained evergreen all winter

- Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise) which got some slight cosmetic damage

- Rhododendron simsii (houseplant azalea, Indian azalea)

- Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus)

- Bougainvillea glabra

- Citrus limon (Lemon tree)

- Olaea europea (Olive tree)

- Agave filifera (threaded Agave)

- Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palm)

There are many more which survived. Re: Lavender - I'm very surprised so many lost it, it's a plant that has naturalised here without any problems with this winter - I'm surprised!

This is the garden in March