Garden goodness after 1st freeze
My northwest Austin garden experienced its first hard freeze of the season on the 26th, but I didn’t have a chance to inspect what got zapped until Sunday, when I took these pictures. ‘Radrazz’ Knock Out rose is, not surprisingly, unfazed.
I’ve been wanting a metal arbor to create a doorway into the stock-tank pond garden. I found this one at the Natural Gardener recently—perfect!
Here’s how it looks from the other side.
Pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) is reblooming despite the freeze. It had faded after an initial fall flowering, and before I had time to trim it lightly to encourage a second flush, it burst into a second bloom on its own. Gotta love that.
Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus drummondii) is still blooming too. This one is up against the house and likely stayed warmer during the freeze.
The pond crinum surprised me by blooming even as temperatures dropped. It got knocked to the bottom of the pond on Saturday night, probably by a raccoon, but the tattered flower is still pretty.
The ‘Twinkle Pink’ cuphea is slightly withered from the freeze, but the flowers are still showing some color against the softleaf yucca (Y. recurvifolia).
‘Macho Mocha’ manfreda and silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) took the freeze in stride as well. Sooner or later the ponyfoot will get zapped for the winter, but the manfreda can take the freezing temps.
‘Adagio’ miscanthus has been waiting for this time of year to show its beautiful inflorescence. As it gets colder, its leaves will color up in shades of gold and rusty red.
I neglected to bring in or cover many of my succulent containers, including this Kalanchoe thyrsiflora, which weathered the cold under a canopy of live oaks, which no doubt helped it avoid damage.
The variegated tapioca’s days are numbered, alas. I did bring it in before the freeze, but it was a hassle to carry this big plant up the hill, through the house, and into the garage, and then back out again afterward. Knowing the cycle of freezes and warm, sunny days that are typical of Austin’s winters, I will eventually get tired of the carry in/carry out routine and let nature take its course. Tough luck, tapioca.
You’ve been beautiful for many months, and I thank you.
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Hi Pam, While we hunker down up north, it’s nice to imagine you still at play with all the colors and textures in the garden, even if tapioca needs a little waltzing around to keep it going. Love your arbor addition!
Thanks, Cyndy. Yes, this is our second gardening season, and an especially good time for the addition of hardscaping projects that the heat of summer forestalls. —Pam
Your metal arbor just fits the spot perfectly. I wonder what you will plant to grow over the archway. Yes, I would say that those trees really help out when it comes to the cold. The freeze zapped my garden well and good. Only the roses remain to give a little brightness to a wintry looking scene. Roll on spring.
I may opt to leave the arbor unplanted, Jenny. Or, if I do decide to green it up, I’d only plant a delicate, almost see-through vine like snapdragon vine. I’m considering putting an arbor at each of the four entries to the pond garden, making it into even more of a room, but I don’t want it to feel too claustrophobic. Am thinking it through.
Thank goodness for the roses for getting us through the freezes, right? But as for wishing for spring already? Bite your tongue! 🙂 —Pam
Cool pictures, I love your whole backyard setup!
Thanks! —Pam
Love the arbor Pam. It really leads the imagination to think of the stock tank space as more of a room – very nice! I’m still trying to decide what exactly to put at the back gate but your arbor has inspired me to be thinking on it more!
It’s easier to think about accents and hardscaping at this time of year, I find. There are fewer distractions, and it’s easier to see where structure is needed. I look forward to seeing what you do at your back gate. —Pam
That tapioca is gorgeous!!! It’s such a trade off. We want them to get big (our tender plants) but then when they do we must let them die because they are too big to protect/dig/etc…
So true, Loree. I wish I could send the tapioca to you. I’m sure you’d be better about keeping it alive over the winter. —Pam
Zowie! I didn’t know there was a variegated tapioca available. We have 2 big tapiocas in our yard, and I love them except that they reseed themselves too much. Sometimes variegated plants are less vigorous at reproduction so maybe that would be a better choice (plus the foliage is unbelievable)! I think your new arbor looks great!
Here’s a link to more info about the variegated tapioca, Eliza. It isn’t hardy in my zone 8b, unfortunately. —Pam
The arbor looks great. I agree…it’s good, just the way it is…no vine.
I wasn’t as lucky with the freeze. It got down to 20F, here in Wimberley. There will be lots of cutting back damage.
It’s crazy….the freeze swoops in, kills plants, and short sleeves the next day. Guess that’s Texas weather for you.
Keep inspiring us.
Same to you, Linda. Yes, our Texas winter weather is roller-coasterish. Another freeze tonight, though I think it’s expected to be pretty light in town. —Pam
I like your new arbor. It makes a very inviting entrance to your stock tank. I am surprised that you have so much still blooming. This is nice.
Thanks, Lisa. The freeze was in the upper 20s, but it was short-lived, which is why not everything got zapped. —Pam
The new arbor is perfect Texas garden style and looks just right in that spot.
Very pretty blooms so late in the season too.
Thanks, S. Fox! —Pam
Your new arbor looks terrific Pam. I see the vision you were going for. Love the pineapple sage. I’ve tried and tried to grow it here. Not sure what I do wrong? Anyway, I admire that it blooms so wonderfully for you and all the better since you don’t have to “baby” it.
WISH, wish, wish our nurseries would bring in some cuphea other than bat-faced. I coveted a pink one on your blog last year. I looked everywhere this past spring/summer and couldn’t find any. 🙁 Boo hoo. I wonder if they are tough to start from seed? or if seed is easy to find?
Looks better there then it does here after a frost.
ps Thanks for your very nice comments regarding my holiday decorating too. They made me smile.
I would gladly send you seed for the pink cuphea, Kathleen, only I’m such a non-seed gardener that I’ve never noticed whether it even sets seed. And yet it must. I will see what I can find. —Pam
GREAT new Arbor!!! My plants have done pretty well with a few frosts that we have had. This weekend may be a different story, cold is being forecast … sigh. My Turk’s Cap is still going strong too.
We got another freeze last night, but the Turk’s caps weathered it too. —Pam
Amazing what you still have after the freeze. Also amazing that we just got our first killing frost a few days ago in the suburbs of PA. Carolyn
That IS amazing, Carolyn! —Pam
Wow, I’m impressed. I was super diligent about protecting my garden every single night, until Thanksgiving. I ended up staying out til 3am and the next day, my banana tree had bit it. Luckily, all of my succulents had been moved in the house, and I didn’t lose anything else.
Doh! That’s what usually happens to me too, with protecting plants. Or else I’m diligent all winter, then get lazy in early spring when a late freeze hits. —Pam
We had our first frost/freeze on Monday morning, but I think it was quick, as my most of my garden looks unfazed, even the normally cold sensitive plants.
That’s the kind of freeze we’ve had so far. Sooner or later we’ll get one that lasts for 12 or 24 hours, and that’ll be a different story. —Pam
Gotta love those Knock Out roses! They take such a licking in the winter but it doesn’t seem to phase them at all. Mine bloom all winter long here in South Texas. Love your photos Pam!
Thanks, Diane. Yes, the Knock Outs are so resilient for heat or cold. Gotta love ’em. —Pam
We have one hybrid tea rose growing right now. They are amazingly hardy!
It’s so heartening to see roses blooming in winter. I bet your tea is lovely. —Pam
As always, your photographs are inspiring. The arbor is perfect. Looks like it was made for there!
K