It's already down to about 23 on my front porch and it is covered though not surrounded. Forecast low for tonight here is 16F. Not sure it will get that cold but I threw a heavy quilt over a lily seedling bed! I lost too many last winter because I didn't have mulch.

Brrrrr, just got home. It is cold outside.
Connie I think you get colder than Kevin and I do.

Got my snuggies on, just like Kevin suggested.

I've found that the garden tools I'm not using now are good for being thrown on top of frost cloth/heavy duty shade cloth to weigh them down this very windy and cold day (cold for me as a Californian...). Everything got blown around today except the cats that sneak around my front yard...

Bev, I think their claws work like anchors.

It's 29 here but was down to 22 when I woke up at 6AM. Hopefully we are over the worst of it. My front yard did not even frost but it is on the river side and road side of the property and protected by a fence and the house. Plants tend to grow better in this space than on the hillside because it's also a bit cooler in the summer because of the high shade. If I only had all 3.5 acres in this environment! Amazing how micro-climates can affect the growth of plants.

In looking through the garden yesterday there seems to be a few cultivars that consistently winter damage more than others. Last winter 'Tarita' was killed down to nubs. It did grow back and make a nice clump but I noticed that it looks very sickly again this winter. The seeedlings from it also seem to be damaged although there are two that are less affected, so perhaps a hope for a more winter-hardy version. It is a pretty semp but I wonder if it's one that shouldn't be in the compost instead of in a breeding program. Don't want to make a lot of wimps.

Happy New Year all!

Kevin

No wimps allowed in the breeding program. Makes for disappointing results in the garden. Was cold here as well, at 9:00 still only 28.

I agree, no wimps. They are way to discouraging.
I walked around the frozen beds this morning. Beautiful sunshine. All of my seedlings look to be strong and healthy, in spite of the heavy rains during the month of December. Feeling good about that, but now waiting to see what they look like this spring.

Well it did get down to 16 here. I woke suddenly at 3am and checked the thermometers. THEN I remembered I forgot about the crocosmias. I know, I know, who cares! . Well they were expensive new hybrids and I am sure they are toast now. Three bucks a corm...

I'm about 2 miles from the river so no warming effect from that!

I agree with Julia and Lynn about the wimps. With so many hardier seedlings to choose from I don't see any point in keeping it. It will only produce unhappy customers.

Connie, you are in a cold pocket. I'm glad I'm here near the river. It's always ~4 degrees warmer here than when I go up the hill to Salem to shop.

Lynn, yeah my seedlings look pretty happy in general too. The heuffs look really and those with a lot of arachnoideum or tectorum blood look great too. Maybe this is telling me STICK WITH THOSE LINES STUPID. I'm happy with the way all the ones that I"ve selected look. The one that Toby liked so well and we named for his daughter, ids starting to color up. Or I should say CHANGE COLOR. It changes every season. Now it's going into a very bright rose color. Need to get photos of all its different "modes".

OK back to doing indices. YUCCK!

Kevin

Can we add the Toby one to the ATP database Kevin?
Would love to see photos of it.

Well just to make you people feel like you have warm weather, we got down to 19 below zero but it is warming up to 20 by 2pm they say. Nice bright sunshine and a bit of a break Friday and Saturday with temps about 30.

Everything is under a blanket of snow right now, but that won't last long once the temperature starts to rise.
Stay Warm everybody, especially you Californians with thin blood.

Happy New Year everyone .
We've gone from minus 6° up to plus 12 ° here . Actually we are supposed to have had the mildest December since 1948 according to the met office. My semps are reeling from the shock but no sign of any casualties yet .
I'm off to Tenerife on the 6th January and hope to get some new Semps for my collection .

Paddy, I can't wait to see your new semps. Something for us to look forward to.

New semps!!!! Pictures pleas Paddy when you get time. Connie sorry about the bulbs.

I just checked the crocosmia data base and it seems that the minimum zone for them is 5a. Maybe they will be Ok after all. I threw a couple of rugs over them tonight and keeping my fingers crossed.

CDsSister said:Stay Warm everybody, especially you Californians with thin blood.

I know; I'm a wimp, what can I say?...well, on to my treadmill to get warmer...and Thanks, Marilyn!

pardalinum said:Not sure it will get that cold but I threw a heavy quilt over a lily seedling bed!

pardalinum said: I threw a couple of rugs over them tonight and keeping my fingers crossed.

Connie, From my imagery of your posts, your outdoors is starting to look like you've done some interior decorating...

Actually, my backyard looks more like a bomb hit it! I forgot to add that I tossed a couple of 2' 2x4s onto the quilt to hold it down. An old pitchfork helps to keep the cover on the compost bin (with another 2x4) to hold the pitchfork down. And it goes on and on. Sometimes I hate my backyard in the winter. It seems like it takes most of the spring and into summer to whip it into shape and soon it is time to start over again .

Connie, The crocosmias should be fine. There are some more tender ones but most of the new hybrids are really quite hardy. Lucifer is a WEED for me and I've resorted to pulling it out all over the yard. It is BRIGHT.

Remay is a better solution, I've found. It comes in different lengths and you can pin it down with landscape fabric pins or rocks. It protects down to 23F for sure and that seems to keep most things protected here. Our Lowe's and several of the garden centers carry it.

These clear skies are sort of nice during the day. The views of Mount Jefferson yesterday en route to pick up an anchovy pizza were spectacular.

Kevin