Monday, February 13, 2012

The Winter That Wasn't

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The backyard a month ago, in January.

I might have mentioned previously, but we've had a crazy-mild winter here so far in Portland. To be honest, it doesn't feel like we've actually had winter at all! Above is the backyard last month...still green for the most part...which is crazy! Right after I took that picture, we actually had our first (and probably only) snowfall of the season...which flattened pretty much everything. Even so, nothing died back as a result of our short-lived snow (gone within a few hours).

The Calamagrostis were completely green when I cut them back this past weekend. I wasn't sure if I should leave them...but as the splayed foliage was covering all the emerging plants beneath them...I decided to cut them back as I normally would, were they dormant.

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Salvia 'Purple Majesty'
This Salvia (also in the back yard) has also remained green this winter...which is all the more surprising as I've actually lost it in the past over the winter. Granted, I think the backyard is it's own little micro-climate, with things being warmer overall. Still...it's amazing that this borderline-hardy plant is still green!

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Teucrium hircanicum
While many plants, including this Teucrium, form little basal mounds of foliage that last throughout the winter, this year they never really died back at all...and this one is even trying to bloom!

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Knautia macedonia
Another plant that also failed to die back over the winter...and is still blooming!

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Geranium 'Katherine Adele' and Pennisetum macrourum
All of the Geraniums maintained a winter presence this year as well...which I've never seen before. True, they looked pretty scraggly for the most part, but the fact is that they were still alive, never going completely dormant. While I wasn't as surprised by the Calamagrostis remaining green, the fact that these warm-season Pennisetums remained green all winter...crazy!

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Verbena 'Homestead Purple'
Another plant that remained totally evergreen this winter...it actually looks happier than it did all summer!

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Verbena bonariensis
More surprising that the much-hardier 'Homestead Purple' was the fact that the semi-tropical Verbena bonariensis never died back this year either. I have a dozen or so plants all around the garden...and all of them are still green and now putting out new growth.

While I'm not complaining about the milder-than-usual weather this winter, I do worry what this lack of vernalization will mean for some of the plants. Hopefully, it won't have any long-lasting effects...as most of the hardier plants went dormant as usual and it was only the plants with lesser hardiness that seemed unwilling to slumber away their winter months.

USDA Zoomed In 2
Zone 9...Yowza!
On a (somewhat) related note, as most everyone has heard by now, the USDA released a new interactive zone map a few weeks ago...and many of us got a bump in our hardiness rating. At first glance, it looked like all of Portland was still in Zone 8...but upon looking closer, I realized I'm close enough to the downtown core than I benefit a bit from the "heat island" effect...and have moved up to Zone 9! Crazy, I know, especially as I'm practically the only Portland gardener who doesn't even come close to testing the limits of hardiness. On the other hand, I guess I can relax about things making it through the winter...well, as long as the squirrels don't dig them up ;-)

47 comments:

  1. In my western NC zone 7b, oh wait, make that 7a, we had a mild winter until the other day. No snow, but 17 degrees this morning sure felt like winter.

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  2. I'm worried it will stay like this and we'll all plant our tomatoes in April, only to have some crazy frost in May. My salvias are all still green too.

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    1. That's definitely another reason to worry...I have to resist the urge to be too excited about all the plants that are up and growing so early...those surprise late frosts can get you every time!

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  3. Hi Scott,

    Out Bonariensis haven't died back and until the snow arrived last week, they too had undamaged, fresh new growth on them - I assume they're now damaged and somewhat blackened though... Sadly I didn't get a photo of the fresh growth before the snow arrived. But I did protect the base of the plants in case we got snow and I'm hopeful that they will have surivived!
    It's been a strange winter, and I'm yet to fully explore the impact of the snow. However I do now have dwarf Iris in bloom :)

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    1. I hope they are ok! I'm sure they will be...mine have died back completely every year but this one...and been covered in snow, but they always come back...or, I guess, they seed around enough that I assume the do ;-)

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  4. Much of our county bumped up a zone from 7b to 8, but not my little corner. I have some plants starting to show some new spring growth, now we are getting some bitter cold nights.

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    1. It's always a little deceiving when it's this warm this early...when normal weather returns, it can be a bit of a shock! Stay warm :-)

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  5. Yeah for global warming! Gardeners must love it, though I think we will all find in time some problems from all of this. Even here the Winter never came, at least not yet. I don't know what that is going to mean for the Summer and for the health of the garden plants. To brighten up the grey days, I recently posted some photos of more colorful times here on the shore of Lake Michigan. If these start showing up in February - then we are all in real trouble! Jack

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    1. For real...I do worry about the long-term, big-picture effects we are going to encounter because of it :-(

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  6. As a fellow zone 9er I can tell you that I have yet to have anything die because it didn't make it through the winter (on a good year impatiens make it...it always dies because it doesn't make it through the summer. You NW coasters have the best of both, mild winter, mild summer, lots of rainfall. It must be like a veritable eden over there.

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    1. That's for sure! I think it's a magical sweet-spot where we have the benefit of not too hot, not too cold temps...and yes...it's HEAVEN for gardeners!

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  7. So maybe with this climate change, instead of what i've always been reading that cold climates will be colder and hot climates will be hotter, maybe it is the reverse. You will get the tropical climate, and we will be getting the temperate! OMG, i wonder how long will the transition be! I will be out by then, anyway. LOL.

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    1. Hahahahaha...oh man, I hope not! I wouldn't last long in tropical conditions! I think it's more that the weather is generally unstable and more prone to extreme swings...it's worrisome, for sure.

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  8. Welcome to zone 9 Scott ! This winter has been pretty goofy here in Norcal, little rain and relentless frost.A bad year for succulents .

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    1. Sorry it's been a bad year down for your succulents...it's one of those crazy things, one person's fortune is another one's misfortune :-(

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  9. I'm sure someone into spiky plants in your city or greater LA can get you into some zone testing/pushing... Very glad you enjoyed a non-winter! We've had a few of those a decade back...nice.

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    1. Hahahahaha...I'm sure you're right! It's definitely nice in the short-term...but I hope we get winter back next year...this winter has been a weird limbo!

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  10. I was enjoying the warmer weather here in southern Kansas until our 15 below wind chill smacked me in the face. Seventeen degrees and 4" of wet snow today. I suppose we shouldn't complain about moisture. Hope your plants hang in and at least go a little dormant.

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    1. Yikes! That sounds like my Dad back in Nebraska (who I talked to this weekend). They've also had a really warm, dry winter...until last weekend. I'm crossing my fingers for those plants, be assured!

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  11. I love your cute little patio. I smile every time I see a photo of it. I used to be a 5a and now I'm a 6b unless you go to the backyard which has its own microclimate, too.

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    1. Haha...me too...I'm still not used to seeing it in photos! Isn't it funny how just a few feet can make a difference when you take structures and other plants into account...it's amazing!

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  12. I wanna be a zone 9......wahhhaaaa! Sadly i'm stuck in zone 8, if only I'd realized 6 years ago when we bought this place what being so close to the gorge would do to me.

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    1. Oh Loree, I feel for you, it's a bad case of total garden unfairness :-( At least now, with the more accurate map, others won't have to suffer the same fate...and hey, if you ever move, you can REALLY find that 'hot spot' for your Agaves!

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  13. I could only imagine a zone 9. I was THRILLED that I moved up to 4b.
    It will be interesting to see the effects of the warm winter on the gardens this year. Sure hope it doesn't include a plague of bugs.........

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    1. As a former Zone 3/4 gardener...I totally know how you must have felt! You're so right...and it's one thing I'm afraid to even think of...the bugs and diseases that might have normally been killed by cold....but overwintered because of the mild temps...eek!

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  14. Almost 3,000 miles away in DC we've had a similar winter. We're wondering too what possible ill effects it could bring but we're enjoying it. It's been a "perfect" year for winter gardens. We've had enough cold so vernalization oughtn't be an issue. Still, who knows what unforeseen consequences will result from such a crazy winter.

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    1. Glad you escaped the lack of vernalization...that's a relief, I'm sure! That's the scary thing...the effects that I can't foresee are what worry me...especially if this trend continues.

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  15. Crazy Winter here also. We've had nothing but dustings this year with snow. Of course it's snowing out right now and they're saying 3 inches. They said that a week ago and it was a dusting but maybe this is it. My zone rating stayed 6 but to be honest I haven't believed it yet and only buy zone 5 plants as a rule.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. I think you're wise to stick within a range of plants that you KNOW are hardy! I actually don't really have anything at all that's even close to pushing the limit of Zone 8, let alone Zone 9. I'm guessing most of my garden would be fine in Zone 6...with a few needing Zone 7. The nice thing about that is I don't really have to fret about most things overwintering!

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  16. In Nashville, we've also had quite an odd winter. January felt like March and then February blew into town and took the blooms off many a shrub! Scott, I love your patio! gail

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    1. Oh no! That's so sad to have blooms frozen off due to a false spring...drat! Thanks...I love it too ;-)

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  17. Zone 9 sounds like you'll be able to have a lot of green through your winters. It has been very mild here, but we're getting a little cold now (not too much, thank goodness). I'm ready for spring, but I'll let winter have a day or two!

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    1. So true...Portland is VERY green during winter, which is nice, although, personally, I don't have much in my garden ATM...I rely on the neighbors greenery ;-)

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  18. Last year I was glad for a late frost (down in Eugene) so that it killed off a whole bunch of my "Poor Man's Orchids", leaving just the right amount. ;) I am wondering if you are noticing a ton of seedlings from them? Then again, I have a 12 year old who thinks it is lots of fun to pop the seeds all over the place. I currently see some in a hanging basket...

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    1. Hahahahaha...that's so true! I have a bumper crop of those coming up absolutely EVERYWHERE this year...I guess I'd better get busy weeding!

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  19. I can't believe all the green you have. Our winter has been mild also but we still have a dusting of snow on the ground.

    Eileen

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    1. It's been a crazy year, for sure...I do hope next year is back to normal!

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  20. Many of those same plants have thrived in my garden this winter also. Even my penstemon didn't get whacked, and it always gets whacked.

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    1. Isn't that crazy! I think those are the plants that I'm most amazed by...ones that I KNOW usually go dormant...it's like we just skipped winter completely this year!

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  21. Many of your plants are doing well! Weather now is very unpredictable!

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    1. You said it...who knows what we are in for in the future.

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  22. It's been mild here too. We've had more sunny dry days than usual and it's been quite nice!

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  23. Zone 9, eh? You're now officially warmer than Austin -- ha! (only in the winter). Time to start adding some small pots of agaves and aloes to set amid your grasses. Test that zone 9!

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    1. Hahaha...omg...I would die if we got as hot as you in the summer! I agree...I'm thinking about tucking a few pots in the garden...and just bringing them up on the porch in winter ;-)

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  24. I am at more elevation and not near water, so last year there was a late spring frost that wiped out all my hydrangeas, though 7 miles south they were fine. There was also a year when the first frost was not until Dec. 20 followed by a rapid plunge to 6*F, so a large Eucalyptus tree that was supposed to be hardy to 0*F died, from lack of hardening off. So... the weather is awfully unpredictable.:( You are so blessed to be in the downtown Portland area.

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    1. Oh no, Hannah, that's so sad! Winter weather can be so unpredictable...even here. I know last year one of my neighbors lost a eucalyptus tree as well over the winter. On the whole, however, you are so right, Portlanders are damn lucky!

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