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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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As if we needed further evidence ... it’s cold!
Posted Jan 10, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Jan 10, 2010 at 06:28 PM
I promise, no more dead plant photos. At least today. I may not be able to resist later this week.
But I couldn’t resist this picture from FOD Janice Vogt, who wonders whether this little anole is cold-shocked, frozen or a goner. We’ve heard so much about the iguanas falling out of trees in South Florida. They’re usually alive, unless they kill themsleves in the fall. Just too cold to hang onto their perches.
Could that be the case here?
Janice, my guess is this guy went gladly into that great, warm, reptile lamp in the sky.
My cousin Lesley sent this photo from her home in Ocala. Though it’s only 90 miles north of us, I’m glad I don’t live there. My dad and stepmother live there, and every Zone 9 plant (it’s all I know!) I’ve ever given them has froze to death. Including Sprout, a butterfly cassia I grew from seed. Its late mother was lost to the hurricanes of 2004, but Sprout had her beauty, her smile, her sparkling personality.
I think my dad and stepmother are still grieving.
So here’s what Ocala had yesterday. Snow!
Our discussions on earlier posts got me thinking about my amazing Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana. It was a rescue from my mother-in-law’s home, neglected for about 6 months after she had a stroke. I didn’t know what it was, but I guessed a succulent. I repotted it, put it in the sun and watered a little less than my other patio plants.
It flourished! (My mother-in-law was thrilled to see photos of this and her other plants, all happy in their new home. Thank you for the excellent idea, Susan!)
I came upon an identical plant at Walmart, and wrote down the name—Kalanchoe. But then I ran into other Kalanchoes that looked nothing like mine. I discovered there’s a great big family out there that I need to learn more about.
A month or so ago, my Kalanchoe started blooming. What a surprise! (It’s also called Christmas cactus.) I did great pushed up against the house all this week, but I brought it inside Friday. I’m not one to push my luck.
Here’s a couple pix I took to show my mother-in-law:
I did some reading up on this guy, and the garden forums say they don’t like full sun, but mine did. There’s also one about getting them to rebloom. It says you should cut back the spent blooms about 4 leaves deep, which I plan to do.
A great survivor! Hmmm, maybe I’ll start some cuttings for the swap.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Chip) on January 11, 2010
It is nice to see some plants that are not shell shocked from the cold. I have not seen any frozen lizards in the garden [ cats have been taking care of that I am sure!] the snow we got didn’t last to long five min. tops it was just way to dark to got any photo to come out. Diane and her friends at work knit hats and scarf’s year around to give away at Christmas this year they chose a local school for there give away. I bet they came in handy who knew it would be this bad for this long?...“Chip”
Posted by (asmarsh) on January 11, 2010
Hey Penny - are there a lot of different kinds of Christmas cactus? The one in your photos looks different than the species my mom grows, and the one you took on to rescue (how is it doing by the way?).
Posted by (kgardens) on January 11, 2010
I think I’m going to plant my yard in all Kalanchoes. My covers blew off my clerodendron last night. It had been staying green and promising blooms until…this morning. I think I definitely need to plant more non-tropicals to at least keep up appearances during winter. Seriously, I think your Kalanchoe is very pretty.
Kay
Posted by (mangoman) on January 11, 2010
Incredible how cold it’s getting! Chip, you had SNOW???? sorry i’m sure youve already told everybody but I missed it. All I got was hail. lol. Little, smaller-than-a-dime size hail. Dissapointing.
No damage to the mango tree :D
Posted by (Chip) on January 11, 2010
ya Eric I was just on the edge of the snow I was glad it didn’t do any more than it did. your mango can’t be very happy did you wrap it?..“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on January 11, 2010
Yup, your kalanchoe and my kalanchoe look similar, except I have red blooms. But I love your shocking pink color. I have always had it on the covered lanai and haven’t tried it in the sun. I take that back. I did try some in the yard one year but it seriously didn’t like it too hot OR too cold. I dug it up, potted it and kept it on the lanai where it thrived for about 3 years until it got some disease and croaked. The ones I have now are fairly new. The cold nipped some of the leaves which mushed out so I’ll give it a haircut and wait for a rebound.
I’m with asmarsh——my Christmas cactus look way different than the kalanchoes. But they are in the same family? Interesting.
Poor little anole. Was it moving any?
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on January 11, 2010
Who had the frozen fountain? Yikes. That was one cold night. Great picture though.
Posted by (Chip) on January 12, 2010
Oh boy who knew it was going to be this bad? the rule of thumb safe from freeze’s after the first full moon of February, I do not feel safe with any more. I have used this as a guide for years and last year it bit me in the butt. We have not started a single seed tray yet. After I uncover Wednesday we can take stock and come up with a game plan for spring planting. I think this spring is going to be a busy time for area plant nursery’s so some good will come of this. Good timing on the seed swap I am looking forward it. ...“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on January 12, 2010
May I join you on the cussing thing? Every time I peruse the yard I am not a happy camper and the cuss words emerge. It’s the only thing that’s truly blossoming at my house right now.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on January 12, 2010
Hello everyone, This is so depressing, everywhere you look plants are dead. I have nothing to do. By the way the lizard warmed up and left. I wish all the plants warm up and grow back. Pumpkin