POLAR VORTEX? Preparing For Freezing Weather In The Garden ❄ || Winter Garden

[@kathrynmettelka7216]

February 2021 will never be forgotten by those of us who lived in Texas then. When the electrical grid failed, we were in trouble. Four days with no heat in our case.

[@shesamadgardener]

It was crazy, we lost electricity too

[@urbanharvestdfw]

Yes indeed don't forget about the winter of 2010 too

[@wendy5006]

I can identify with you 😅 I'm not fancy, don't have recipes for my everyday cooking, love my flower garden and need peace of mind. I'm Finishing up prepping for 18 degrees here in Houston. I know it's supposed to be winter but it's upsetting to have to deal with these 2 day cold events which destroy all the pretties which are still blooming.

[@shesamadgardener]

I can’t believe it is going to be that cold in Houston!

[@sandraoconnor5700]

I learned from several other KZbinrs to water my plants well before each freeze, and it’s worked for me in Zone 8b here in the Deep South❤❤❤

[@dawnmitchell11]

Yes! Watering before the freeze is recommended. Here in Texas (at least central and western Texas) it is especially important to do as we have been quite dry and have had lots of heavy winds recently.

[@shesamadgardener]

Yes! Hydration is the key!

[@vickijackson9115]

Once again Thank you for sharing this information. Grateful I found someone in literally my back Door. Anything you share is a Joy too watch. Your humor and attitude is priceless.

[@shesamadgardener]

You are so welcome!

[@TrixieJFerguson]

I had mums in my Colorado garden. They were there when I moved in and they were still there when I moved out 9 years later. At that time I was NOT a gardener. They just took care of themselves even when we had temps -20F. Your mums are going to be ok.

[@shesamadgardener]

Awesome, thank you

[@urbanharvestdfw]

We don't like cold 🥶 here in tx

[@shesamadgardener]

Nope, not at all 😂

[@noradunlap7539]

This was so helpful! TFS! I’m in northeast Texas. Trying to prepare today!! Blessings!!💙💙🦋🦋🙏🙏

[@shesamadgardener]

Good luck!!

[@donnamatthews4250]

Every video that I have watched is predicting extreme weather and we are right in the middle of it. Hope your garden lives!

[@shesamadgardener]

I hope so too!

[@SharkSandwich451]

Welcome to Zone 6b! Do not worry my Zone 8AB friend; you have your freeze fabric - my tomato plants which were only about a month old and newly planted into my raised beds got hit by a freeze IN MAY 2023. Frost cloth in hand I only lost one. Five survived. The flooding that’s occurred in my zone this year is making all my newly planted bulbs pop up out of the ground. In a panic, I got more mulch and covered my irises, crocus, and alliums after going through and re-burying them (which seemed to pop up more than most) and they look OK - even after yesterday’s rain storm. And your idea with the Xmas lights is a great hack!

[@shesamadgardener]

Thanks! Fingers crossed!

[@michellepollino4986]

Oh Amanda I am sorry you have to do all of this to protect your plants, but I know you have spent lots of money and worked to hard to create your garden space. I live in NY so my winters are always freezing and lots of snow., however Christmas Day 50 degrees temps which I have never had warm temps this year 50 degrees was crazy. I’m 60 years old climate change is real. Texas it’s not normal, it must be shocking for you to see temps in the teens. The soup looks delicious! Love it.

[@shesamadgardener]

Yeah, the temps are just so unusual for us!

[@grisespino5342]

May your garden stay safe. So true, its for my peace of mind. Soup looks delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipe. Enjoy

[@shesamadgardener]

Thanks!

[@dawnmitchell11]

One other tip. I purchased heavy guage wire (a little heavier than baling wire) and made "hoops" to keep the cloth up off of the foliage, reduces damage. Need wire cutters to cut wire though. I think the difference that people don't realize who live in colder climates is that the temperature extremes in a short amount of time are what is so devastating, aside from having many plants that don't have low hardy temps. Their gardens wind down to cold temps slowly so that plants can go dormant. Many of our plants aren't dormant when these hard freezes hit. I still have lantana, roses, and salvia in bloom with lush green foliage. I was planting bulbs yesterday and had bees buzzing my alyssum, stock, and salvia. I'm about 4 hours south of you.

[@shesamadgardener]

I still have so much blooming … it’s crazy!

[@ElizabethDwelleJewelry]

I was just wondering what I was going to do about the freeze over here in Plano. I knew you’d have some great tips. I love it that you live in my area.

[@shesamadgardener]

Glad it was helpful! I used to live in Plano!

[@urbanharvestdfw]

I'm getting my stuff ready too zone 8 b tx supposed to be 10degress

[@shesamadgardener]

I’m just not used to the lower temps.

[@antonianovoa6416]

What a great cover of your garden! We are expecting rain here in California, but the chilly mornings are coming!

[@shesamadgardener]

Hi over there in CA!

[@rosemarypurnell3674]

OMG, that soup looks delicious! I never thought of roasting the vegetables and pureeing them. With the impending polar vortex, that would be a great soup to make. It was 79 degrees here today, so it's hard to believe we're going to be freezing in a few days. I'll be out in the maddening crowds tomorrow stripping the grocery shelves of provisions and wine. I'm also ordering some frost cloths from amazon and hope to get them before the freeze hits. That was a great idea about the Christmas lights for added warmth. Stay warm.

[@shesamadgardener]

Get that wine! 🍷

[@smiley2477]

I just subscribed. I live in Houston and I started a side hustle selling plants because my job has been unstable the last year in this shitty economy. So I need to keep my stuff alive so I can focus on growing to sell. This is exactly what I’m looking for! I don’t have tv so it’s interesting nobody is telling people about how bad it will be.

[@shesamadgardener]

Hi there! That’s so cool that you are growing plants to sell! Hoping for a profitable 2024 for you!

[@patboyle267]

That soup looked delicious! Thanks for sharing 😊 also going to cover some plants in the garden today (dusty miller and lemon cypress)

[@shesamadgardener]

Sounds great!

[@kristinepeterson6761]

I so want soup now!!! That looks s delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us!!!🩵

[@shesamadgardener]

It's so good!

[@urbanharvestdfw]

Interesting

[@shesamadgardener]

Thanks

[@rebeccazody1278]

In Indiana I have covered things almost every year. You did a great job. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[@shesamadgardener]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@YanickaQuilt]

I am in Zone 5B and I am so happy that my hardy annuals are safe under a good layer of snow we got last week. I was worried because usually we have snow earlier.

[@shesamadgardener]

Snow is such a good insulator!

[@hd1ab1]

Very timely video. It's coming my way in Maryland by the beginning of next week. I have 5 macrophylla hydrangeas that I'll be protecting from having the buds frozen off☹️. 2 have rarely bloomed, this may be their last year and three succumbed to the deep freeze last Christmas. I got a couple of blooms on 2 of them and one didn't bloom at all but gets another try since it was a retirement gift and only been in the ground 2 years. You have sooooo much more to care for, I hope they all survive and thrive.

[@shesamadgardener]

Can you take some cuttings from there and propagate?

[@oneimaginarygirl5]

This is such a cozy video! Love seeing you cook!

[@shesamadgardener]

Yay! Thank you!

[@gillbrown3523]

That soup looks so delicious😋. Such a good idea putting the lights under the cover too. Here you are with freezing temperatures and our temperature today was 41c which is 112f, my plants are not loving it. ☀️❄️

[@shesamadgardener]

That’s crazy how different the temps are!

[@doramaldonado4460]

I wasn’t sure if I was going to cover the cool season flowers but definitely will after watching this video! A little panicky since I’ve never planted so much in the fall to have early blooms in the spring!! Thanks for the information!

[@shesamadgardener]

Glad it was helpful! I just needed the peace of mind!

[@JL-hw5hu]

Love this cooking segment looks delicious. Thanks for sharing all your videos are great.

[@shesamadgardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@dawnmitchell11]

I have recently started switching over to terra cotta pots from plastic for some of my plants that like a little drier conditions. Such a pain when we have these events! 😵‍💫 I don't have very many yet so I'm able to put them in the garage, but what a pain. I'm glad you mentioned letting the pots dry out prior to freeze events! That should help enormously when I do start having a larger collection.

[@wendymontie5660]

If you don’t have one, get one of those moving dollies that fold down to make a platform to put a board on and be able to transport more at a time? And: save your back.

[@shesamadgardener]

Great idea!

[@shesamadgardener]

Yeah I have a love annoyance relationship with terracotta 😂

[@corinabecerra953]

Thank you! I’ll be covering up my plants!

[@shesamadgardener]

You’re welcome!

[@susanschellberg4509]

The soup looks wonderful. I don't do recipes either. Tips for protecting plants very helpful. We're supposed to get the extreme cold next Tuesday(7b DC/MD) I don't have any seedlings to worry about, yet , but am planning to protect all my containers and some marginal newly planted shrubs. Liked the bucket/towel idea and adding Christmas lights is brilliant. Hope your rannunculus make it. They are looking fabulous. I'm going to pre sprout mine in a few weeks.

[@shesamadgardener]

I’m really hoping the ranunculus make it too 😬

[@wendymontie5660]

I’m (farmers branch) pulling our thornless key lime (potted) into the garage, where it will get sun but not the full brunt of the freeze. Same for my scant handful of smaller potted plants. The rest of my plants (primarily natives) are in-ground and are just going to be raw dogging the temps. Some have been in there long enough to have been through one or two winters w/ice/snow…if some succumb, I’ll replace (rooted in and north haven gardens…I’ll be in you!). What doesn’t show signs of life by end of March…RIP. We don’t have outdoor plugs, so the great idea of incandescent Xmas tree lights sadly isn’t feasible at our place. (Hoping to change that but it won’t be before this polar vortex situation) Thanks for all the flattest tips & the recipe!

[@shesamadgardener]

Yep, I’m not covering any of my well established plants … just ones that are seedling or less than a year old.

[@marionnixon817]

Soup looks amazing, grilled cheese is the perfect companion and all perfect for this weather! I’ve been moving my potted plants into the garage for 2 days (a few at a time). Heavily mulched the beds today and got the freeze cloth, sheets and misc totes to cover ready. I’m waiting until Saturday to actually cover them all. I can only do so much each day. 🤣 I hope it is not as bad as they say but doing what I can so I don’t stress as much. Good idea on the Christmas lights! I have those. Good luck and thanks for all of the tips!

[@shesamadgardener]

Good luck to you too Marion!

[@louisannrippy4103]

Looks delicious

[@shesamadgardener]

It was!

[@karenschwartz5209]

Thank you 😊

[@shesamadgardener]

You're welcome 😊

[@pintsizestories196]

I hope your plants survive all right. I live in Ontario so we get cold winters. For me, the tricky part of the year is April when we can get real temperature swings and, especially if the snow has melted, it's really hard on the perennials. Gardening is always full of challenges. Your soup looks delicious.

[@shesamadgardener]

I hope so too!

[@sherylbrimer3664]

😊thanks

[@shesamadgardener]

You’re welcome!

[@maxineappleton6500]

Ive only just found your channel Thankyou for sharing, you've given me some good ideas We are currently in a cold snap here in the UK I'm in Merseyside the Northwest and its already -1 at 6pm and dipping to -2 / -3 / -4 some nights My plants are all tucked up too

[@shesamadgardener]

That’s super cold! I mainly watch UK gardening channels … best gardeners in the world in my opinion!

[@jeannet9592]

I hope all of your plants do well through the freeze! I'm in northern GA and we're expecting teens next week.

[@shesamadgardener]

I hope so too! Good luck!

[@loismackie1082]

That was very helpful,thanks

[@shesamadgardener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@michellefrance1165]

I have several new shrubs and perennials that I have to get covered before Sunday and the polar vortex hits ugh!!! Soup looks delicious 😋

[@shesamadgardener]

Hope they make it!

[@TheJmsamples]

That quote…😂😂

[@shesamadgardener]

😂😂😂

[@debbiek1699]

Someone told me you can put a slow cooker out near your plants under a breathable cover like a cotton sheet. Also recommended by neighbors is to water really well before covering and covering all the way over plants to keep humidity trapped inside. Someone else suggested milk jugs of water next to plants. I hope your plants make it!

[@shesamadgardener]

Great tip! I’m going to go look up the slow cooker idea … so cool!

[@gracieshomeandgardens5089]

Does Christmas light help for heat?never tried that yet.we always get cold weather here in Ontario 🇨🇦..

[@shesamadgardener]

Yes, incandescent lights give off a little bit of heat which helps out.

[@j.b.4340]

RIP: my garden

[@shesamadgardener]

😢