Surprising survivors

I don't know if this observation falls under the heading of "survivors", but, here in North Central West Virginia, where it used to be designated USDA Zone 6, the climate has become quite inconsistent. Over the last few winters, low temps have varied between -11 F and +10 F. But more impactful on my outdoor plants has been the early spates of abnormally high temps (60-70's F) in March followed by more normal 20-40's in April. It's "supposed to" stay cold until April!
I have a nice clump of Bletilla striata right next to a clump of Erythronium 'Pagoda'. Two years ago, the bletillas were hit so badly by a late freeze that I got only one flower stalk, but the erythroniums, which were budding at the time, bloomed beautifully. This year, after a warm spell in March, and then a freeze in April, the erythroniums did almost nothing, but the bletillas, though they suffered frost damage, look like the are going to do "what they are supposed to do"

Best wishes,
Dell

Dell Sherk, Salem WV, USA
--------------------------------------------
On Sun, 4/30/17, Jane McGary <janemcgary@earthlink.net> wrote:

Subject: [pbs] Surprising survivors
To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Sunday, April 30, 2017, 1:57 PM

This is my offering for a topic of the week.
Hope to hear from many others!

This is the time of year when those of
us who garden in climates that
experience winter frost take stock of
what has survived the trials of
winter. In western Oregon we've had a
winter that was slightly colder
than normal, with several periods of
snow cover (one of about one week),
and very heavy and prolonged rainfall.
This was a real test of plants
known to be marginally hardy here.

I don't have a heated greenhouse,
though I move a few potted plants
under lights in the garage in winter.
My bulb house is never more than a
degree or two above ambient
temperature, since it has a roof but no
solid sides. I also moved many bulbs
into the open garden last summer.
Some of them are mentioned in books
(mostly books published in the UK)
as requiring frost-free cultivation.
Nevertheless, some marginal species
are now in growth and even in flower.

I didn't mean to plant Ornithogalum
reverchonii (from the French
Riviera) in the open, but I mistook its
bulbs for Ornithogalum
narbonense. Yet O. reverchonii is
opening its crystalline white flowers
now; the foliage, which is
winter-growing, is a little bedraggled but
definitely alive. Amaryllis belladonna
turned to mush, but new leaves
have emerged -- I may never see any
flowers but it's not giving up. The
shining yellow flowers of Anemone
palmata (from Portugal) light up both
the rock garden and the bulb lawn. Even
the Crinum plants given to me by
another PBS member last year are
putting out new growth; I did mulch
them heavily but thought they were gone
for good.

Most everything in the bulb house
survived (low temperature, 18 F),
except for some Babiana. Another
African species, Oxalis obtusa, is all
too lively -- I even spotted one that
got into the open garden,
fortunately back in the shrubbery where
it can't do much damage. The
lovely North African Asphodelus acaulis
dutifully produced its
peach-colored flowers in early March, a
little later than usual. I think
the survival of marginal plants under a
roof is aided by the fact that
their foliage is dry; on the other
hand, they got no snow cover. I
suspect that the many species I'm
trying in turf also enjoy a little
extra protection in winter, when the
grass here is in active growth.

So far the only big Alstroemeria
outdoors, A. angustifolia, has not made
an appearance, but in the bulb house
the little species Alstroemeria
hookeri came through fine, despite
being in growth during the cold
snaps. I'm also happy to see
Alstroemeria patagonica there, but it is
more cold-adapted, though not really
easy to maintain.

The first Calochortus here is always
Calochortus uniflorus, and it's
opening now. Others are in bud. Most of
them flower rather later than
other bulbs. I have sometimes thought
that native bulbs from the Pacific
Coast of North America are particularly
well adapted to surviving
extra-cold winters.

Have you had any pleasant surprises
like these? Let us know.

Jane McGary

Portland, Oregon, USA

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