So far, I have been able to sit in my sunroom most of the time this winter. I have one baseboard heater, which has been able to keep up with the cold. However, this recent wave of Artic Vertex subzero weather concerns me. I have most of my larger plants in the sunroom. I have a couple of little guys in my sitting room, and they are doing well.
I do not have the room in the condo sitting room to put all the sunroom plants. One drawback to a side-by-side condo is that the neighbor-side existence does not allow for windows on that entire side. One thing I dislike about condo living is the lack of light. I have posted about decorating with mirrors to capture what light I can in the past.
Last night, the temps got down to – 8, and I actually thought about getting up and putting sheets all over the plants. I didn’t, but this morning, I got my electric room heater out and plugged it in in addition to the baseboard heater. This morning, it was 44 degrees in the room, the sun was put on, and they did not look frost-damaged. I hope that the heater will keep them warm this day.
I cannot leave the plug-in electric heater unguarded in the evening so that I will cover the plants. The forecast for tonight is – 12, with windchill bringing the temperature down to -20!!!
As you can see, the individual plants seem to be ok so far. The kalankoes are starting to bloom, the geraniums are a hardy pant anyway, and the old amaryllis still has a green edge. I am concerned about the jade. As I said, I will cover them tonight, and hopefully, the Arctic freeze of subzero temps will end. In Ohio, we usually get a couple of subzero days, but people say these temps will break 20-year records.
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By the way, my Christmas present, amaryllis, decided to bloom, and she has two flower stalks- so she now might be a birthday present. :))
It is not feasible for me to go outside and cover my hydrangeas and roses. I hope the piles of mulch are enough to protect them. I covered them for the past three years unnecessarily and had no problems. Seems the one time I let it go…So, everyone- stay warm and check your plants.
