Time to bring the plants in!

If you live outside the southern states, this may not be news to you. In fact, some of you might well be saying to yourselves, “Gee, didn’t we reach that point last month?” Well, here in Texas things aren’t quite so clear cut. One day you’re wearing shorts, as I was just past Sunday, and the next you’re getting a winter storm warning and threats of snow. No, really – snow! The last time I saw snow was February 14 of 2006. Not exactly a white Christmas, but hey, a white Valentine’s can be just as romantic!

Just as my baking fell off during my medical hiatus so, too, did anything resembling gardening. Somehow, though, despite my previous black thumb (and forefinger, and other fingers… you get the picture here) it looks like almost everything has survived a month or more of near neglect. In truth, some things seem to have taken off and made my back patio look like a wild jungle while I wasn’t paying it any mind.

I did lose my citronella plant, my sage, my thyme and a few fronds on my black elephant ears, though the latter is already forcing up new shoots. My chives and oregano have nearly exploded out of their pot and can no longer stand upright and the sweet potato vine was reaching for the neighbor’s patio. The dwarf plumbago and the chocolate chip ajuga are both planted in the ground and have apparently put in very deep roots and spread out of their neatly tended rows and clumps. With lots of rain as of late, they’re happy as clams. There’s no real way to bring them in from the freeze so I’m going to have to see about covering them up somehow, or let them go and start fresh in a few months.

When I say “in a few months” I really do mean just that. The planting season here starts in late March and folks have been known to plant a second crop of tomatoes as late as August. My potted rosebush is being left to weather the storm as it’s nearly doubled in size and is far too large to bring in, though I’ll probably go pull it up by the door and consider covering it as well. It’s a hearty wild sort of rose, and in fact it’s still blooming even now! I’m going to call the Rose Emporium tomorrow to see what they advise. Maybe we’ll drag it inside after all and hang the Christmas tree ornaments from it and the rosemary bush that has grown like a weed and leave the big plastic monstrosity in its box.