Seems we got winter a bit early this year. I can't remember it being this cold in early December since ... well since that huge ice storm when we had no power and the low was 17°. When was that, 2002? That sucked so bad.
Come to think of it, it hasn't ever been that cold since that storm. I'm pretty sure because I've been keeping track of winter lows for the garden. Since I started gardening it hasn't dropped below 22°. Which is about 17 degrees above the coldest lows we're supposed to expect, according to the hardiness map. Because of this, I've been risking flowers that aren't supposed to survive the winter here: dahlias, gerber daisies, and a bay leaf to name a few. Which meant I spent yesterday afternoon rushing to buy winterizing supplies and rushing to get them in place. Note to self: check weather forecasts in advance in wintertime!
I was actually most concerned about the hydrangeas. They're not supposed to need winter protection here, but it's been so warm the past few weeks that they've all budded out. Those buds are next year's flowers, and if they freeze now we may not get any flowers at all in spring. The gerber daisies were also sending up new flowers, all of which probably died last night. But I'm not as concerned about that because if they survive the winter, they'll come back fresh in spring and bloom again.
You can buy winterizing supplies, like little plastic tents which cover plants, but that seemed like a waste of money so I improvised. I got a sheet of clear-ish white plastic (actually a painting tarp, 6 ml thick) and a bale of wheat straw. I wrapped the plastic around old stakes we already had, making a sort of plastic box around each hydrangea, and the bay leaf. Filled them up with loose straw, and covered the top with more plastic. Then I used up the rest of the straw by pilling it on top of the gerber daisies, pansies and dahlias. It was dark by the time I finished and I missed a few pansies. I hope they're OK. They're in shade in the morning, which is good. If plants freeze overnight, I've heard that morning sun can actually kill them by warming them up too fast.
It was too dark when I finished to get any photos, but I'll try to get some--well it will be dark tonight too, so maybe tomorrow. Anyway they're not the most attractive things in the world, but who cares if they keep the plants warm. I took the covers off this morning so the plants wouldn't overheat, & will replace them this evening.
Hmm, maybe I should have done the new fig too. I didn't think of that. Dang. It's in a protected location, in front of the white wall of the shed. I hope that's enough.
Hey Dollface.....
1. you don't need to do anything to "winterize" your fig. In fact....DON'T. Yours is too young to withstand the bugs, etc that will infest any straw-wrapping, etc, that you place around it. If, though, we do enter a period during which the fig mightsuffer winchill damage, just wrap the trunk (to the degree it has one yet) with newspapers. It's the winter wind that'll dry out the fig.
2. you need "knock out" roses. you've seen mine, which are only two years old (albeit fed mightily on fish emulsion fertilizer). Ihave the red ones; you might profitably plant the pink ones (which you can do, since you are a girl).
3. Also....come and get a "cecile Berne" rose (spelling?). My father took cuttings from the two HUGE ones which grew outside my window at Laur';as house; they're quite pretty, carefree, and obviously last a long time (Laura's wereplanted by her grandmother in the twenties).
My father (who has about an acre (no exaggeration) of roses, recently brought five Cecile bernes to me; they're each quite healthy and about 18 inches high/wide.
fondly,
Uncle David
We have ahd a fig tree since we moved here. Generally for the winter we wrap it in plastic tarp to keep the wind off (and as a result have named her "Laura Palmer"). She has died off and come back from the roots at least twice, though.