Mild Winter, Hard Freeze

The winter here has been extremely mild. We have had temperatures above or close to 0'c, we've had rain instead of snow and my snapdragons are still blooming in the backyard. This is not our normal.

But suddenly, coming this week, we have cold weather on the horizon. And while I don't normally view -15'c as all that cold, with the warm weather we've had, your plants just might. Last year we experienced something similar. But it happened in early November when we received sudden cold temperatures and snow on the same day. I'm sure you saw the results of that this spring. Woody ornamentals struggling to bounce back, perennials that didn't survive at all and I personally lost a 15 foot maple in the backyard.

So, what can we do to help our plants out? We have been fortunate to have been receiving precipitation in the form of rain. This means that our plants are well hydrated. When they are dry, they are more likely to sustain damage from the cold temps. But here are a couple of options for a little extra insulation.

• Mulch

Piling mulch around the base of your plants can provide them with the little extra protection they might need. This can be anything from bark mulch, wood chips, leaves or hay. Whatever you are comfortable using will be fine.

• Burlap

Wrapping your woody plants in burlap can help protect them from the wind and from some frost. You can even place dry leaves inside the burlap for a bit of extra protection.

• Don't Trim

So, this is something you may have already done.... but keep it in mind for next year. I don't trim or cut the majority of my plants until spring. The extra material can provide insulation and protection to the base of the plant (like ornamental grasses) and if it does sustain damage, at least it is now more likely that the damaged part is a length you were going to cut off at the start of the new growing season anyway. So, just as I always nag you to "leave the leaves", I also suggest not cutting anything until spring.

I hope this post has provided you with some options for our oncoming colder weather. Stay warm out there and start planning those spring gardens!

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