By the way totally makes sense that a plant can be winter hardy while planted in the ground but not while in a pot.
Oh hi littlek. OK, I'm going back in. <takes deep breath> (Should show up on new topics in a minute.)
Planted in the ground, with or without mulching - it also depends on whether the roots have had time to establish.
It does take time, especially if you have a whole yard to work over. Just do a little at a time.
Lobelia crumps here, but reseeds.. (here hardly ever freezing but it comes close sometimes)
Helichrysum lived on in LA, but that's LA. I haven't grown it here.
Astilbe lives on here, in the ground anyway.
Typing away without my handy Sunset Western Gardens book at hand.
Hello, and I totally somehow missed this thread being updated. And how! Thank you so much for all your info little k, that was helpful. I guess its true I did buy mostly annuals. I remember the salesmen often saying, no it's a "vaste plant", but thats when its actually in your garden I guess, pots are different I can imagine.
I've taken one of the felicias inside and put it in my windowsill. Some light there, though all and all its a dark apartment, plus over there it is right over the heating, which I assume is bad. I'm keeping the other one out there in the cold. See which of the two makes it, if either.
The lobelia sounds like a toss-away. I must add that I saw the blue lobelias mentioned everywhere as an annual, but these red ones (lobelia fulgens) somewhere as a two-yearer. So perhaps I should try bringing one pot in anyway, see. I'm not so attached to them anyway, its not so bad.
The Bidens, everywhere described as annual, I'm going to give up, while the Astilbe, Euphorbia Helioscopia and Alchemilla Mollis should be fine out, as far as I understand. The Dahlia I'm still drying inside, for now still in the soil, then I'll dig it out and see.
The real issues are with the willow, the Dusty Miller and the licorice. Winterhardy or not, I guess I will take my willow inside after all if it gets really cold (and its already quite cold now, below freezing). One of my neighbours has one on the balcony, I can check whether/when she does. I just dont want to lose it. And the dusty miller and the licorice? You said annual, little k, that would suck ... they were sold me as "vaste planten", but then, they're in pots and they seem to be sensitive to the cold from what I read ... I feel like taking them in, then. Both, along with a pot of lobelias and the willow if it gets really cold.
But I still have a problem with that (and not just because I dont have space for all of that inside!). Because take 'em in where? Inside here is warm - just a one-room apartment, 20 degrees centigrade or more ... but the basement, much cooler, is dark - no windows, only a lightbulb. Sounds like a devil or the deep blue sea thing.
What choice would you recommend? Relatively light but warm - or cool, but pitchdark (if I dont turn the light on)?
Still sitting out on that balcony in your big coat, nimh?
msolga wrote:Still sitting out on that balcony in your big coat, nimh?
I was, today, yes ... polishing my shoes, sitting in the doorway with my big coat on, shoe in hand to get some real-life light on what I was doing ... it was bloody cold. Winter has definitely set in ... the astilbe has instantly reduced itself to pitiful shreds ...
Oh, that's sad, nimh. I can certainly relate, though. Going back indoors for the winter <sigh> is like giving up!
It's just not the same, is it?
Unless you have a 'grow light' turning a light on in the basement won't help the plants. I would try to keep them in the apartment (aside from the dahlia bulbs) and water them like crazy. These plants enjoy summer temps, so the heat isn't so much the problem. The heat will dry the soil much much faster inside than outside.
As for the space, I dunno what to say. Do you know anyone with a sunny place who would adopt your plants for the winter?
OK, out of the basement they go ... <smiles>
(Dont worry, I'd only put the one pot there yet, just to try out - so thanks for the timely advice, now I know I dont need to bother with that alternative!)
The basement might work for plants that go dormant (hibernation).
