Feb8, 2010, Multiply, Garden update, you have a friend

 Yesterday the sun shone in a very pale sky but there was no snow, no ice, no rain, no wind and the temperature was above freezing; and so I ventured out into the garden. I went into the garden last week to take a couple of quick photos but yesterday was the first time I  stayed out for any length of time, I even did a little ‘garden work’. I swept a little, righted pots that had toppled, cleared rubbish blown in by the blizzards, gathered old leaves for the mulch pile, turned the compost and replaced the bird food.  Visiting the garden for the first time after the snow and ice is like preparing a damage report. You walk around, still wary of dangerous hazards, an unseen, intact lump of ice, ground that looks firm but is sodden underfoot, debris left by the winds, the odd tile hurled from the roof, these are all obstacles found in the recently thawed garden. I walked tentatively around; looking to see what was beyond salvage and what, despite temperatures of -10 and below was showing signs of life.  I checked on the tiny white snowdrop shoots I had spotted the week before and to my absolute delight, there they were bigger and stronger than they had been last week AND they are in bloom.

The rose that carried on growing and producing new pink fragrant blooms well in to December hasn’t fared so well, I think it could be dead, destroyed by the extremes of frost and ice.

The parsley is remarkable; it shows no sign of damage and looks as lush and green as if it had spent the winter under glass.

I think my initial instinct about the lavender could be right; it’s almost all dead, no signs of life, I did lose a couple of pots last year but this year I think I may have lost all of it.

Its far too early to assess any frost damage to the new fruit canes I put in last autumn, I’m just hoping for the best.
It was quite sad looking at my garden and wondering exactly how much long term damage it sustained, but……………..it was so nice to be back outside. I’m already looking around and making mental lists of all the little jobs I have to do out there this year. I’m beginning to think of my garden as a friend who I miss very much when I can’t visit. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHlcW_lKPl4&feature=player_embedded

 

Tags: garden

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delete reply spiritjewelz wrote on Feb 11, '10 Lovely on the snowdrops... I think the rose will be ok... not sure on the lavendar... it may be dormant...but hard to know in pots...sometimes the roots freeze too much... guess it's a wait and see thing!

delete reply sandycaar wrote on Feb 10, '10 i have always loved snowdrops,,just something about 'em,,like some of the others said..don't give up on your rose bush or the lavender just yet...and i always enjoy "you've got a friend"....

delete reply mimi29827 wrote on Feb 10, '10 I enjoyed gardening vicariously through you last year and look forward to watching your garden again. Hope the roses come back! My plants used to come back from what I thought was absolute death sometimes. You never know. I always give them more time than I think they need just to make sure!

delete reply philsgal7759 wrote on Feb 9, '10 Don't give up on the roses That is how mine look in winter and they are still blooming. Lavender may be the same. Don't get your hopes up but don't give up until the spring arrives in earnest.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Feb 9, '10 After a lot of rain yesterday, the sun has decided it's showtime today. The weatherman said we might get more snow at the end of the week though. I think it's been a harsh winter just about everywhere. Can't wait to see your spring garden.

delete reply djdx wrote on Feb 9, '10, edited on Feb 9, '10 Your rosebush may have been pruned by the cold, sometimes what looks like a dead branch will bud and then carry on. Snowdrops are such a morale booster. :-) Things in pots are more susceptible to cold than ones in the ground.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Feb 9, '10 veryfrank said We prune roses in March and most often they come back well and we can have some harsh winters as far as temperatures. I know you are right Frank I should have pruned it back, I was enjoying the flowers so much I just let it carry on growing but if it survives i'll not make that mistake this year.

delete reply lonewolfwithin wrote on Feb 8, '10 nice...

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Feb 8, '10 It's a shame about the plants that didn't survive, but the sight of the snowdrops and others that are faring well is always a good sign. The early stirrings of Spring are always a boost to lift the spirits. Haven't heard that song for quite a while.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Feb 8, '10 We prune roses in March and most often they come back well and we can have some harsh winters as far as temperatures.

delete reply vaziry wrote on Feb 8, '10 Very beautiful .

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Feb 8, '10 Your rose may come back - it has been harsher than usual for you this year but I have had roses come back with temps that low. You are right, gardens are dear friends, places of refuge and solace. I enjoyed hearing Carole King. One of my favorites.

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Feb 8, '10 lovely a garden is a friend :)

delete reply shartey wrote on Feb 8, '10 It is still too early here, and we have snow on the ground...my friend said the dafodils were blooming by Feb 21 last year...but I think it will be later this year.