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GARDEN ROUNDUP: What
Survived Winter
By Barbara Elmore, HCMG |
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Before the record cold
temperatures froze our
toes in January, I
thought of plant
hardiness zones as mere
suggestions — a number
between how many cups of
coffee one could drink
in a day and a school
zone speed limit. Now,
as I see what survived
and what didn't after
our 9-degree low on Jan.
9, I will be taking zone
numbers seriously. The
toughies that survived
last summer's drought
and the more recent
record cold will be more
plentiful in my garden.
These plants made it
through pretty much
unscathed: Jerusalem
sage, Phlomis
fruticosa
(left).
I first noticed
this plant in early
spring in the parking
lot of a fast-food
place. Over the summer,
I saw its pretty yellow
blooms in many more
areas, so I asked at a
nursery how drought
tolerant it was. Turns
out it not only
tolerated the drought
but the cold, and stayed
evergreen throughout the
weather roller coaster.
The leaves appeared a
little droopy after I
pulled off the covers,
but it's among the
living as I write this.
Cherry sage, Labiatae
Salvia greggii
(right). This grew well
in clay soils in my
former North Texas home,
sometimes blooming
through November. It
also stayed evergreen,
so it earned its chance
here. Although the
blooms were not as
plentiful here over the
summer, it repeated its
evergreen performance.
At Natives of Texas
nursery in Kerrville,
this one is labeled deer
resistant. Note: I like
the red, but you can get
these in other colors,
including white.
I'm not sure if all have
the same weather
tolerance as Texas
betony, Stachys
coccinea. I love
this plant. It stayed
evergreen, too, even
through all that cold,
and I will be watching
eagerly for its pretty
coral flowers to emerge.
This ground cover is
also deer resistant.
Pink skullcap,
Leguminosae Scutellaris
suffrutesscens:
Another evergreen plant,
this one puts out pretty
pink blooms spring
through November. I have
seen it get bushy in a
sunny area, but my small
planting was pretty
sedate this year. It's
still among the living
but might need some
trimming.
Purple winecup,
Malvaceae Callirhoe
involucrata: If
you have just a small
planting of this, as I
do, it looks like a
thriving weed in the
winter. So be sure you
don't pull it out.
Because the vivid purple
blooms, resembling
elegant cups of wine,
will stop you in your
tracks.
Although I was unhappy with
the performance of my
purple coneflower,
Echinachea, last summer,
I noticed recently that
its leaves are showing
their heads. Perhaps the
generous rains had
something to do with
that. This year I will
try more in a different
area. As we begin to hit
our normal daily
temperatures in the 70s
more regularly, new
plantings of these
favorites will keep me
busy.
But I will also be looking
at other plants to see
what made it and what
didn't, and share that
information here. I hope
you will do the same.
Send me a note about
what did particularly
well in your Hill
Country garden.
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