Blog: It all depends on so many factors…
Like most UK gardeners, I’ve been struggling with a host of frozen plants after this month’s prolonged spell of sub-zero temperatures. Three new risk factors spring to mind that puts our plants in even more danger:
Firstly, our plants (and ourselves) have become ‘soft’. They are unaccustomed to long spells of freezing weather after a series of mild winters. Last season, we had no lying snow!
Secondly, this cold snap has followed hard on the heels of a year of extremes. First heat and drought, then a very mild, wet autumn. Any one of these causes plant stress, but one on top of the other will lead to plant deaths.
Finally, the sheer length of this spell of weather has left me surprised. Here in Gateshead, it hasn’t risen above 0C for almost a week. The general rule that the RHS advise is that borderline hardy plants (to-5C) can survive a few days at that temperature, but seven or more? For more on cold protection and hardiness, visit my how-to page.
Frozen plants – Echiums and Euphorbias
The prime examples of borderline hardy plants which I’ve grown without a problem for years are Echium pininana and Euphorbia mellifera (Canary Island spurge). Echiums seed themselves merrily around my garden and sometimes succumb in winter, usually when they’re growing in border soil. Those in pure gravel fare much better. The Euphorbia, along with all my others, was grown from seed.
Melianthus
I never expect Melianthus to keep its leaves. In fact, it’s been a miracle they’re still on but that’s due to the long, mild autumn. The Crocosmia next to it lost its leaves in the summer drought.
Frozen plants – winter wet
As with many of these plants, winter wet can be the number one enemy, not cold. One catastrophe has been the Belfast sink, which was cleared and replanted this year after it blocked up and flooded. Unfortunately, it has done it again but before I could clear it out, the big freeze hit!
Summerhouse protection
At least with the summerhouse, I was able to drag the baby tree fern inside along with a potted bay – only possible if they’re small, though!
Frozen plants – paint it black!
I am hoping that painting the long main wall of the garden black will have paid dividends. Dark surfaces absorb what little heat there is during the day, releasing it slowly at night. That’s why I chose it as the spot to grow my new Brown Turkey fig. I know this is supposed to be hardy in the UK but that remains to be seen in its first season. Fingers crossed.
