Coming up . . .

Winter and more winter!

I got the cold frame up (for the grapefruit tree) and brought in a couple of plants I couldn’t stand to lose, but didn’t get to my hardy bananas, as you see.

I’m not worried. Each of the past five or six winters they have died back to the ground, and each spring they have come up again. I mulch thickly with compost and leaves to protect the crowns.

Other gardeners have these hardy bananas growing close to the house or other spots protected from the coldest temperatures. Those bananas may keep some or all of their leaves through the winter. Mine are in the parking strip, exposed to the worst of the elements. However, the crown and roots stay warm enough to send up many new banana babies the following year.

Don’t Panic – back to the holiday cheer!

The cold weather has probably nipped many of our garden plants. But now is not the time to act. Rolled up, drooping leaves are the plants natural protective reaction to the low temperatures. Just the tips of branches may be damaged. In many areas, the roots of fall-planted perennials keep on growing through the winter, even as the leaves brown and curl.

Bring potted plants closer to the house and cover with straw, dried leaves, evergreen boughs, frost protective fabric, or even sheets. But don’t forget them. They’ll still need a bit of water, if they are out of the rain, just to keep them going. Drying out can be just as damaging as freezing.

Have you had enough of elves, grinches, and flying reindeer?

Find out about other unusual critters. Sally Fisher, Sally Fisher, waste reduction expert, Clark County Solid Waste Program, will tell you about Bats: Insect-Eaters of the Night. Find out about attracting these insect eating garden allies to your yard.
Clackamas County Master Gardeners (Milwaukie Center, 5440 SE Kellogg Creek Dr.); Monday, Dec. 14th, 7:00 p.m.