With the first the right way cold weather now on the celestial horizon , a small gardener ’s conundrum is what to make unnecessary from the frost and what to allow for to a parky fate . Those lucky people with a hothouse , diminished nursery or generous windowsills are in the dependable place to winter stamp plant . woefully we have none of these , so it ’s fourth dimension for some elusive decisions !
Plants that originate from bulb and rhizome and which die down in winter are less of a challenge . They generally dislike being besotted during the wintertime , so we tuck them forth in the disconsolate , unwarmed shelter of our undercrofts as soon as the foliage has yellowed and died . It ’s important to wait for this to find so that the energy generated by the foliage can be lay in up in the bulbs and rhizomes for next year . We bequeath them in their pile , tip off them out and replacing with fresh compost in the springtime . If you do n’t have a cellar , the tax shelter of an evergreen hedge or the rainwater - tincture at the foot of a wall should do . Just hold back at regular interval for waterlogging . If the plants are tender ( such asHedychium , CannaandCautleya ) , recollect that they are more exposed to frost if they are in a plenty , so wrap the container with bubble wrap or hessian to protect it from the worst .
But it ’s the plants that stick around green throughout the winter that amaze the big challenge . Last year we overwintered a 2 yr oldMandevilla sanderi(above ) in our London monotonous . Although it was very unhappy and lost a lot of leaves , once it have back into the garden it go off like a Eruca vesicaria sativa . I returned home this hebdomad to find oneself flailing stem of glossy foliage a metre long project from its neatly trained flesh , as well as lots of lip rouge pink flower buds . However , this year it ’s too orotund to meet in the machine and there ’s nowhere for it indoors , so what to do ? It seems such a waste to let it go , but all - in - all it ’s in all likelihood cheaper and easier to start again next yr . Abutilon‘Nabob ’ in our London garden should secure a place on the right side of the Gallic window , where hopefully it will remain to farm its blood reddish flower until Christmas .
Fuchsias , Coleusand begonias ( unless they are very prime ones ) fall into the same family and will be replaced by vigorous new plants next year . Osteospermums , in my experience , are never as safe in their second year as they are if you depart with new ones . All can be grown from cuttings , but again these take a bright windowsill to get them through the darker daytime . Below , Fuchsia ‘ Orange Crush ’ – still going strong this weekend .
One plant that I would never get out to the mercy of the elements is my 7 twelvemonth oldAeonium‘Schwarzkopf ’ . The slight frost could boil down it to mush , so it comes indoors in October to bask the balmy climes of the can . Joining it this class will beAeonium‘Sunburst ’ and ‘ Torchbearer ’ which are too young to die . Another succulent , Aloe striatula , needs no such coddling , and will take everything the wintertime has to throw at it , including snow . It ’s not the prettiest succulent , but it draw my admiration for its hardiness .
As for the quietus , it ’s a case of how much blank space we can notice in the home and how quickly we can get them in . This year I ’ve raise a number ofTecoma‘Mayan Gold ’ ( below , range of a function fromdavesgarden.com ) andPlumbago capensis‘Escapade Blue ’ from come and they will have to be pressure in despite their increase size . I ’ll stop feeding these now so that they do n’t grow tall and gangly through the winter months .
Luckily our meek climate means frosts are reasonably rare , so anything of borderline daring is still worth the outdoor challenge . Echium , Agapanthus , Melianthus , Beschorneria , AsteliaandIsoplexisare all faithfully hardy for us . Meanwhile , one large pinkMandevillaseeks a new nursing home – must have key heating , large windows and room to mature !
Share this with others:
Like this:
Categories : Container horticulture , Flowers , plant life , Small Gardens , unsorted
Posted by The Frustrated Gardener
