Thursday, November 13, 2008

The Garden After Frost

We finally had a pretty good killing frost. Can you see the blackened banana tree? Blackened cannas and brugmansia? But interestingly enough, NOT blackened flowering tobacco; which is in the coldframe, though not protected by the coldframe since the windows are opened.

How are your gardens faring now? Any surprising survivors?

in the garden....

33 comments:

  1. Dear Tina, I would like to say 'your garden look great' but it really looks very very sad/ xoxo Tyra
    THE GREENHOUSE IN TYRA'S GARDEN

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  2. Tina ~ Those Bananas are huge!!! Sorry you finally had your killing frost. Not too much left out in my yard but there are a few flowers hanging on in the bed right by the front of the house. A microclimate is to be thanked.

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  3. Hi Tina, everyday it is a surprise. My tobacco plants have nice green leaves but the flowers are gone. Don't know if they will make more buds. That is the case with lots of stuff. We had frost that first time a couple of weeks ago but not since then even though it was forecast. Since I have not done any clean up it may help things last a little longer, not so open. Lots of leaves on the gravel paths to deal with though we must wait until they are dry to vacumn them up and spread them chopped on the beds. I love doing that too. The yellow buttons are in full out bloom, unfazed. The sheffies are declining but hanging in and the wild white asters look fantastic! Silly things, I used to pull them all as weeds, now I am leaving some and glad of it. Another lesson learned from the bloggers.
    Frances

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  4. Nope, nothing hanging on up here! LOL ;)

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  5. We have not had a frost yet, but things in the garden look leggy.
    Question--my profusion zinnias are still so pretty--perfect colors for fall, but I want to get pansies in front too. What do I do? Pull up pretty flowers? I hate to do that. Help! I'm off to work, will check back with you later. Have a great day!

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  6. Good morning all!

    Tyra, It is sad but happy too as it can now rest-as can the gardener I reckon:)

    Cindy, Yeah for microclimates to keep a few flowers happy. Hubby cuts down the banana 'trees' in tomorrow's post.

    Frances, I have a picture of my sheffies but they are past here. I love the leaves too. What is up with the tobacco plants holding on?

    Dawn, Thank goodness for indoor plants!

    Linda, This is a hard quandary with the zinnias and all the hangers on from summer. As far as pulling them I hate to do that too, but IF a frost is coming soon and the zinnias are looking a bit timeworn anyhow, go ahead and pull them and get the pansies in. Time for a change unfortunately all things change.

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  7. All my annuals bit the dust. The roses keep on keepin' on. They don't give up until we get temps into the lower 20's for a prolonged time. Perennial salvia too. We've had light rain for days and it will continue at least thru the weekend. Pretty bleak looking landscape.
    Marnie

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  8. Not too much frost here, yet. I enjoyed reading your older posts too. I love to propagate as well and have to agree plants from friends are the best. I was trying to see where you live, couldn'g find your profile. Probably over looked it.

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  9. I'm still surprised that my annual verbena is still going. It's a little ragged but it's lasted through several frosts down here.

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  10. Marnie, It is pretty bleak here too. Amazing what a few days of bad weather does for a garden.

    Darla, Thanks for dropping by! I live in upper middle Tennessee. A good place to garden. I see you are in Florida. You have a lovely and large yard in which to garden.

    Dave, Can't beat that verbena!

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  11. Your banana tree is huge! I just got two this year, and they got just over 6 foot tall (in zone 8a); I thought mine were great till I saw how really huge yours were. I love them!

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  12. Hi Nola, You will love your bananas. They are Musa bajoo? The hardy Japanese ones? Mine are and nearly 20 feet tall and tons of babies coming up. We cut them down tomorrow, stay tuned for a treat. These are easy to grow and don't worry and one actually bloomed this year. Yours will too. Just give it time.

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  13. We haven't had a hard frost yet so most things look pretty green still if not a little tired. Does that Banana die back to the ground like the cannas?

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  14. Good morning Racquel, Everyone is loving the banana this morning. I have a few posts prepared on it as it is quite a stunner. But yes, it generally dies back each year. This year we have a treat and I let hubby chop it down. Stay tuned tomorrow for the "Timber" post. Of course I also cut the cannas too. The J. banana would grow in your neck of the woods. It is a real sweet thing too. If you find Musa bajoo pick it up and if you ever come this way I have tons of offsprings from mine I can share.

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  15. All good things come to an end...but, in a garden, they come back again. (wait, did I make that rhyme?...too much writing!)

    My colocasia and ginger are still hanging on. The ginger is blooming like crazy up against the east side of the house.

    Cameron

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  16. Good Morning All,
    That banana got really big. I didn't know they would grow that far north. I wouldn't mind trying one of those.
    How did your ginger fair? Did you get to try the juice? How close do you cut your cannas? oooops, all questions.
    Have a great day all.

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  17. My garden~~Not so bad! There will be a few blooms on Bloom Day! But the sweet cosmos was wiped out!

    I will miss these posts of my garden blogging friends' blooming and colorful gardens!

    Gail

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  18. Good morning Tina, all that's left here are the bugbane blooms. There are buds on some daylilies, but I doubt they'll open. I have some tender plants blooming inside and am enjoying them.

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  19. That first killing frost is hard for me to take. I was going to ask what you do with all your tropicals (banana, cannas, brugs, etc.) but from your comments, I think I'm understanding they overwinter in the ground?? If so, I'm jealous! Those are exactly the plants I spend all the time loading into my basement to save!!

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  20. My flowering tobacco is till all green here in Maine!! But like Frances, no flowers. Still have a rose and, of all things, my radish tops that were planted as a second crop very late is still green as can be.

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  21. This is such a new thing for me Tina...I just don't know what to say...

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  22. Jack Frost has not been to visit us yet in GA. I see butterfly bush, Mexican heather, blue daze, periwinkle, sage, salvia, purple queen, petunia, marigold and begonia still blooming. Not real pretty blooms but still hanging on! I love all those as they will stay until frost… I still see butterflies and bees around also. I spotted two baby canna popping their heads out of the soil also and the baby banana plant you gave me has two new leaves! The ferns are still lush and full also. This zone allows us a longer bloom season then TN…. We have late winters and early springs just they way I like it…

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  23. Cameron, You are a poet and didn't even know it:)

    Lola, Haven't used the ginger yet. I cut the cannas to about 1 inch or lower. Have you accessed the blog yet?

    Gail, We'll still be blogging-winter or not:)

    Linda, Wow on the bugbane!

    Kathleen, Very lucky here. Most things winter well in the ground with some protection. I do dig dahlias and take cuttings of other things. You are bit more north so it might be too cold there:(

    Mom, I think it weird the tobacco is still green and going strong. I would've thought it would be the first to go. Eat those radish greens! Good for you.

    Kanak, Yes, I remember no frost for you there-right? How lucky is that? Almost all of our plants go dormant. Sad time. But it is okay too.

    Skeeter, The fall this year has been so long everywhere and no frost yet for you? Very long season. The bugs are busy pollinating before they go away for the season. Gotta ensure next season's crop.

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  24. RIP your banana tree. We had a (rare) killing frost in San Diego in January of 2007. Driving around the neighborhood for months afterward, I'd notice blackened skeletons of banana trees. Pretty sure they never came back.

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  25. My pansies and purple chrysanthemums are still blooming, but everything else is pretty much dead or sleeping.

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  26. So far no freeze here. Any time now, I'd think. I have been out all afternoon potting up plants in shorts!
    Brenda

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  27. Yes, a freeze and most things are goners. Still a few survivors... an odd aster a few hardy annuals. The kale looks good, however :)

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  28. Not much is left in my garden either. In fact, I was worrying about how I was going to do a Bloom Day post for tomorrow, when I looked at the date of yours--the 15th isn't tomorrow; it's Saturday! As if one more day is going to give me any blooms:)

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  29. Hi Tina,
    My musa isn't as vigorous as yours. Of course, it is in the shade with not much water. Duh!
    Donna

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  30. Seems it's time to bid farewell to another season... here, too. Annuals are dead, pulled and sleeping in the compost pile. A couple of tough perennials, in sheltered spots, are putting up a good resistance. It's been unseasonably warm in MA and we're currently enjoying rain, mist, drizzle and fog. I vote for a real cold snap and sparkling, crisp, sunny weather... everything's gray, brown and ugly! ~ Deb

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  31. WS, Poor banana trees in your neck of the woods. I hope no more rare freezes come through.

    Amy, Pansies and mums are great! Gotta love any color in late fall.

    Brenda, You were very busy. Potting is something I have been neglecting. Want to come do some for me too?:)

    Ilona, Yeah for the kale. Such a pretty plant.

    Rose, You'll find lots still blooming. I bet there will be some sheltered spots hiding some surprises.

    Donna, I think this musa is on steroids or something. No one can believe how big they are. Not sure the reason but I'll keep it. Enjoy yours.

    Deb, Not sure about a cold snap and sunny weather. Brrr-this from a lady shivering in her own house. It might be that I am a bit cold. Coming down with the crud so I am longing for sunny warm days in Nassau:)

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  32. Hey, Tina, I'm commenting sporadically--we haven't had a frost yet, though apparently Raquel and Les have had light ones. We're near the river and the location might moderate the climate. What I have is leaves, leaves, leaves--and the wind keeps bringing down more!

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  33. Cosmo,
    The wind is taking all our leaves too. Good thing as now maybe I can rake most of them away. No garden work today. Guess what I am doing? Homework-a short essay. Urrr-hate that writing thing too.

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