The Morgue

conradmum

I thought it would be interesting to hear what people have lost from their gardens over the winter and where they live. Might give us some idea about what not to plant in future!

Here in the East Midlands I've lost all my verbena bonariensis (not a problem, will grow easily from seed) and a penstemon. I thought I might have lost a hardy fuschia too but I've just seen this morning that it's sprouting from the base. :j

Joly_Roger

The Morgue, that's an apt name. My garden felt liek a morgue for plant for 3 months. Cold and dead, no sings of life.


I live on the borders of Surrey and South London. I lost a large and expensive Agave Americana, all of its offsets, probably a Washingtonia Robusta (still no green yet), 2 red Cordylines, a Phoenix Canariensis & the previous winter I lost a Dicksonia Antarctica, anpother Phoenix C, a smaller Agave Americana a giant Red Cordyline. They were the nastiest winters I've seen for decades.

I might have also lost a giant Phoenix Canariensis worth quite a few hundred pounds. Will see if it recovers.

I wrapped lots of stuff this winter which has helped.

jennyjelly

A few weeks ago I could have given you a list, but since the weather warmed up most of the things I thought had gone are starting up again, The one I was most annoyed about was a really unusual little fern that we bought at Westonbirt Arboretum last year - it disappeared completely but look at it now!



Our only major casualty was an expensive fancy variety of clematis which cost a fortune last autumn. I'm sticking with good old hardy montana in future, that survived.

Orange_King

I lost many pots of Arum Lilies during the cold winter - the tubers had just turned to mush. But even more survived and they are now making a come back.

The fuschias also took a battering but some plants seem to be thriving now after the cold.

SailorSam

I thought when you asked what people had lost from their gardens it was about things that had been stolen. Even when you started naming plants i thought who'd go to the trouble of digging up them.
Just having a senile moment.

LJM

i lost all my geraniums if that counts

SaverSueG

Hi there conradmum, your post title made me smile!

I'm sure your verbena boniensaris will come back even if just new plants from seed. We are in rural north shropshire, temperatures were at least minus 12 (according to my OH's van which froze it's fanbelt!), maybe even colder. But the verbenas which had self-seeded at the edge of our little ones play area, between the bark and the veg bed, are shooting again from the base.

The hardy fuschias are like yours shooting from the base. I took cuttings from the penstemons and salvias, the outside plants are dead but the cuttings have come through in our unheated greenhouse, wrapped in fleece. The salvias have only just made it though, the top growth is killed but they are shooting from the base.

Otherwise I am surprised how little has been lost even if it's a bit slow starting. I did lose all my autumn sown sweet peas in the greenhouse, have had to grow new ones. Our fig tree has survived and is growing new figs but we did lose a biggish bay tree which was in a pot - at least I think we've lost it, it's now just bare stalks but I'm still giving it a chance!

foxgloves

I lost penstemon 'apple blossom' but all the bog standard ones survived. None of my verbena bonariensis survived but this isn't that unusual for our garden (East Midlands) - Most years I'd expect to lose about half of them at least but I've got lots of strong new plants just hardening off now ready to be planted out. Lost my agave (my fault there as forgot to put it in greenhouse!), most pelargoniums (which were in the greenhouse) and 2 of those everlasting wallflowers which were particularly pretty as they have multi-coloured flowers. Thought had lost a fuchsia too, but glad I didn't throw it away as this last week, it's just started sprouting again from the base.

conradmum

Joly_Roger wrote: »

The Morgue, that's an apt name. My garden felt liek a morgue for plant for 3 months. Cold and dead, no sings of life.


I live on the borders of Surrey and South London. I lost a large and expensive Agave Americana, all of its offsets, probably a Washingtonia Robusta (still no green yet), 2 red Cordylines, a Phoenix Canariensis & the previous winter I lost a Dicksonia Antarctica, anpother Phoenix C, a smaller Agave Americana a giant Red Cordyline. They were the nastiest winters I've seen for decades.

I might have also lost a giant Phoenix Canariensis worth quite a few hundred pounds. Will see if it recovers.

I wrapped lots of stuff this winter which has helped.

Wow, my verbena bonariensis and penstemon pale in comparison.

A couple of harsh winters indeed. And to think that for the last few years the gardening experts have been anticipating all the half-hardy plants we'll be able to grow due to global warming. I think in truth it's anyone's guess what we'll be growing in our gardens in 20 years' time.

moodydonkey

I lost my bleeding heart for some reason, picked up a new one cheap at a car boot, my lily of the valley seems to have loved the cold tho was beautiful.

conradmum

moodydonkey wrote: »

I lost my bleeding heart for some reason, picked up a new one cheap at a car boot, my lily of the valley seems to have loved the cold tho was beautiful.

:eek: Now you've got me worried! I've got a yellow climbing bleeding heart that I haven't seen yet, although it's still a bit early for it.

Another one for the morgue?