cold

We are finally getting a taste of winter here. It got down to 19 Monday morning and only got as high as 36 yesterday. It's only a little bit warmer today.

That may still seem warm to some of my readers in the northern climes, but I think it all depends on what you are adjusted to. It felt mighty cold to me.

In general I don't worry about freezes in the garden because I mostly use plants that are natives and can stand the cold. I do take care in the vegetable garden but right now there isn't anything there to be concerned about. But I forgot about the twin planters of mother-in-law tongue that were sitting on the front porch, until I got home and found the "tongues" trailing on the ground. I quickly put them inside hoping they weren't complete goners. I think some of the spears on the inside of the bunches may have survived.

Tricia and I are terrible with house plants. We invariably put them outside and forget them until they freeze or if they are inside we forget to water them for months. On my office desk now I have an African violet that someone gave me. It has stayed really pretty with dark blue flowers for over a year now. But just wait. I'll manage to kill it somehow.

Posted by Bill Hopkins on January 7, 2004 09:49 PM
Comments

I forget about my plants too, I hate it that I do. I love plants, I really do, but I kill them. All but the Pothos...I cant kill it. I have sprouts, and rooters, and starters all pothos. Good one for killers like me.

Posted by: Mary Lou at January 9, 2004 02:15 PM

Does this mean it was a cold day in Hell? I have a few debts to call in if it was.... :)

Posted by: Joel at January 10, 2004 01:49 PM

i've never been good with houseplants either. i forget to water them or i leave them within reach of the cats who either chew them up or knock them over.

now that we have a house everything stays outside. the only potted plant i make much of an effort to protect is a hibiscus that has sentimental value. it's in the garage now and will come inside if it gets *really* cold (not too likely in houston).

Posted by: erica at January 10, 2004 08:15 PM

I'm exactly the same way about house plants. And the same thing happened to my Pothos this winter. I took it off the patio to give it a little sun, forgot about it, and during a very light freeze, it was the one plant that suffered terribly. (Probably because it is in a pot. Some stray cuttings that I left in the stump garden are still fine.)

I was happy to get a day or two of cold weather to provide the feeling of the season, but we are so low on rain and we only got a drizzle. At least the dry weather is keeping the henbit and chickweed down.

Posted by: M Stevens at January 11, 2004 09:01 AM

My sisters have the greenest thumbs I've ever seen. They've been growing African Violets and lately orchids since they were small.

I've got well over 60 houseplants and they suffer terribly during our dry, cold winters. I had to chuck a couple out over the weekend and I just hated to do it. I did get a fantastic book on plants for Christmas: Houseplants for Dummies. It's one of the best I've seen yet.

Posted by: Leslie at January 12, 2004 10:13 PM

And yes, most of us northerners will accept anything below freezing as legitmate 'cold.'

Damnably uncomfortable, is winter...

Posted by: jenn at January 18, 2004 09:20 PM