Harsh Winter: Costs...and Benefits?

     We have had a cold and snowy winter (for Virginia).  Each growing zone represents a transition from the adjacent zones to the north and south.  The plants in any particular zone may be hardy in that zone to varying degrees.  For example, our early-blooming magnolias sometimes bloom beautifully, but sometimes get frost blasted, though they are less likely damaged in zones south. Eucalyptus is hardy here...for about 4 to 6 years, when we have a cold snap that does them in. Figs are great survivors, once well rooted, but can get blasted back in very cold weather.  The cold and stormy winter did some damage that is visible in my neighborhood:

Winter-damaged holly, bleached leaves:

An idea of the extent of the damage:

 Damaged, likely dead, eucalyptus:  this is my third planting in 12 years:

Bleached, or winter-burned, leaves of a southern magnolia:

Typical English Ivy damage in winter:

So harsh winter conditions have damaging effects:  winter-burned leaves on evergreen plants, split bark, downed limbs from ice and wind ... not to mention split pottery planters left outdoors!  But can a cold winter have a positive effect?  Yes.  Cold winters can kill overwintering insect pests and their eggs.  For example, there was hopeful news recently that the extreme cold in parts of the country may kill off many emerald ash borers, that threatened trees across states mostly east of the Mississippi (but spreading beyond it).  Other pests and pathogens, including some  weeds and their near-surface seeds may also be killed.  So, this cold may serve a useful purpose!

As I write this it is:
25 days, 1 hour and 2 minutes until spring!

Happy Gardening!

Winter Gardening Pleasure: Brief Entry

Winter Gardening Pleasures
I know it isn't exactly gardening, but I get a great deal of pleasure each year from starting up some amaryllis bulbs. I have written on this topic before, so I will not give too many details here. Amaryllis are one of the great floral bargains. For under $20 I bought 3 bulbs of the single-flowered amaryllis Ambiance, from Van Engelen bulbs, of which the flowers of only 2 of them are in the photo above...and, honestly, if you have a pot, potting soil and water, you can do it too. The flowers have been blooming for a few weeks now and will continue a few more- way longer than cut flowers for lower cost! And, if you take care of the bulbs correctly, you can coax some more blooms out of them next year!
Happy Gardening!

My Poor Eucalyptus

My poor eucalyptus

As other residents of the mid-Atlantic and upper south states know, we recently got whomped with snow. OK, not SNOW by Minnesota standards, but enough- 10 to12 inches here in Central VA (and for the second time this winter) and 32 inches in Northern VA and DC. The photo of my poor eucalyptus above is a lesson on why you should not grow plants that are not suitable for your area. This is the most hardy variety of eucalyptus I could find, but I have grown and lost one before. Eucalyptus will get winter die back every 4-5 years or so here and will die completely every 7-8 years or so, usually from cold and ice. The last one I had was weakened by an ice storm one winter and taken out by a hurricane the next summer. I do not know if these three (yes there are three trees in that photo, one tipped and mostly under the snow) will survive the snow, ice and cold. There are other reasons than climate to not grow non-native plants, including the fact that they usually cannot act as food for native creatures (but that is also precisely why we often want to grow them, because they are not bothered by pests or critters). In addition, they may have specific soil requirements that you cannot match- and, believe me, trying to change your soil to a very different type is a gargantuan, and perhaps impossible, task.

So why did I plant eucalyptus a second time? Why did I chose this exotic non-native? Am I a slow learner? Maybe, but I think eucalyptus is beautiful and fragrant and I can make lovely wreathes and arrangements using cuttings from it. I know I “should not” grow it, but I have a weakness for it. I try to plant plenty of native plants and ones that help local critters, but I will probably persist in planting eucalyptus (just like I try to grow beets every year and pretty much fail). I will treat eucalyptus like a semi-hardy perennial, let it grow when it can and take it out when it cannot. What is that key sign of insanity? Repeating the same act over and over in the face of contrary evidence?

All for now…stay warm and happy gardening!

(Subscribe to my garden pod cast, VirginiaOrganicGardener, at itunes!)