It’s been a warm winter and a cold spring here in central Ohio. The perfect combination for disaster in the garden. The cold nights have taken a toll on some of my flowers, especially the wisteria. A couple weeks ago, we had several nights in the 20’s, and it totally destroyed every blossom on my the vine. I had worked two days in February severely pruning this vine down to two buds per branch, as recommended. I was afraid I had killed it, but it rewarded my efforts with more blossoms than it has ever had. All for naught, this is still how it looks today. Two weeks later, the leaves haven’t even had the courage yet to make an appearance.
Needless to say, I was devastated. The cold went on to damage the tender Hosta leaves as they were emerging. I have never seen the Hostas get zapped before, and many of them look deformed. I thought the lilacs had escaped damage, but not so. This week’s bouquet are the lilacs I was able to salvage. These are the early varieties that were in bloom when the cold came, and they came through quite well. But the varieties that were still in bud, are a total loss.
Even the clusters that survived are not full and lush. But it is what it is, and I am grateful for that.
I had hoped to try a combined vase of lilacs and wisteria, but that will have to wait until next spring. Because of the skimpy lilacs, this vase ended up being more leaves than flowers.
All in all, it still ended up as a decent bouquet, and it does smell heavenly.
The bouquet adorns the freshly cleaned porch and every time I walk in and out, it greets me with its wonderful fragrance.
I was hoping to spend some of my working from home hours at this table, but more unseasonably cold weather is forecast for the next two weeks. Beginning to wonder if it will ever warm up.
Joining with Cathy at Rambling in the Garden for “In a Vase on Monday”, where lovely floral arrangements from around the world and country can be seen.
🍃💜🍃 My gardeners heart is bleeding for the damages that you’ve experienced. We have had similar results in years past. (Zone 5) The good news is that the garden does overcome. I remember walking out to the hosta one morning and it looked like someone has poured acid on the 4” tips. It takes a little longer, but they do rebound.
🍃💜🍃 I LOVE your lilac photos. Do you crush the ends for longer lasting vase life? I recently heard that and want to give it a try.
Thanks Terie. It was devastating, and I cried for a few days. I actually thought I may have killed it from pruning so severely, but that is how the expects say to prune. I was so overjoyed to see all the buds, but the wisteria don’t usually bloom until this week, so everything was a few weeks too early, and those cold 20-degree nights were more than they could handle. It’s supposed to get down to freezing again 3 nights this week with chance of frost again.
I’ve never crushed the stems of the lilacs. I have always wondered how people get the blooms to hold up, cause more often than not, they droop. If you ever discover the key, please let me know. I took the photos immediately since I was afraid they’d droop if I didn’t.
I’m sorry the cold took so many of your wisteria and lilac blooms, Cindy. Still, you managed a very pretty arrangement with what you have. I’m surprised that the cold is hanging on so long in your part of the country, especially as we’re headed back to sizzling temperatures (not good for a spring garden either!) this week. I’m anticipating some losses of my own.
I’m surprised too about the cold since you’re having excessive heat. You’d think it would drift this way. Another frost warning for 3 nights later this week. We were way too warm this winter and now we’re way too cold this spring. Another 10 days at least of this, and hopefully then, it will warm, or at least get back to normal. Everyone is frustrated and the confinement makes it worse. The cold is like the straw that breaks the camel’s back and between the rain and cold many are discouraged. But what can you do except ride it out.
Oh, that is tragic, Cindy, particularly after your careful pruning and the fantastic blossom – and for it to damage hostas and others too! Here, if we get a late frost it is usually only very light and generally would do little or no damage. We are due one next Sunday, and I might cover up the dahlias I have planted out, just in case. Despite the damage, you have still produced a very lovely vase – the overall shape of both the vase and the contents looks very stylish. And a fragrance too, unlike mine which has something distinctly NOT pleasant in it!
Thanks Cathy for the kind words. Most of the time I don’t care about the wisteria vine. It has become a thorn in my side as it is so messy, work, and a monster to control. I almost didn’t care if I killed it when I pruned it so severely, but when all those hundreds of buds emerged, it endeared itself to me again.
But the hosta leaves are damaged and deformed for the duration of the summer, and the astilbe too. I’ll be covering a lot of things again later this week when we have 3 more nights of frost warning. Hopefully this will be the last of it, but I remember saying that a few weeks ago too.
What a shame your wisteria was hit by the frost. And your other plants too. Your lilac does look gorgeous nonetheless and I do hope you get some warmer weather soon as that porch is begging to be put to use again! 😉
The weather and nature certainly throws us, quite frequently. However I love the light in your porch. It shows off your arrangement beautifully. Maybe give a wave to passers by and put a smile on their face…we all need one at present.