Baby it's COLD outside!

[~Anastasia~]

Even in Florida!

Getting down in the 20s tonight, not much above freezing, and even colder tomorrow night.

I've had my large philodendron on the back porch, a few late tomatoes are still trying to ripen, and generally we've just had a very mild winter so far. But tonight is an exception. I brought in the ferns, the potted lemongrass, the pepper tree. (Actually my husband brought in the larger ones!) This might finally be the point everything goes to sleep for winter. The grass is even green and growing, up till now ...

I look forward to spring. It's really not too early to start looking at catalogues, is it? Though I need a bigger garden area. We've added a chicken coop, hubby built a shed a few months ago, and basically it's just getting smaller out there. I have an unused side yard I'm eyeing though ... it gets a lot of sun and is already fenced on three sides. But I'm not sure I have room for things like watermelon, pumpkins ... At least I shouldn't have to give up tomatoes, peppers, basil ...

Really starting to look forward to spring. Every winter I just hope most of my tropicals will make it to go back outside again ...

 

[Goodbook]

Its summer here..getting dry. I dont have much in pots preferring to put them in the ground.

Have pumpkins and tomatoes and corn growing, no fruits yet. Just put in capsicum the other day.

Sorry I cant join in comiserating the weather but my mum says shes visiting canada in february. Shes brave...or out of her mind, not sure I would go there to enjoy the cold, ice and snow. Sis says why not wait till spring but her uncles birthday is not in spring...and canada is further north than florida. Her uncle used to cultivate bonsai. Not sure he still does but remember he had a conservatory full of them.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I had to smile when I read "Canada is further north than Florida".

It was a very brief cold snap. We are back up to nearly 80F many days, and I've moved the large tropicals and ferns back outside.

Rather crazy winter we are having. It's not usually THIS warm. We are still harvesting peppers. It's going to be a bad year for insects I think.

 

[Goodbook]

I have started a fernery so have my ferns in the ground. I am considering buying some big pebbles as mum's chicken keeps digging them up.

Or I might put rocks there I already have hmm. I started my fernery from nothing they weren't already there. What kind of ferns do you grow?

Today it's drizzly we have some much needed water but thing is Auckland weather never predictable. It wouldn't be as humid and hot as Florida gets though...although I think we do have similar climate being by the sea. Auckland sits on an isthmus so we kind of have sea on both sides AND rainforest. But its not quite subtropical.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I have to learn a whole new process and set of plants when I change climates. South Florida would be one of my favorite places except nothing like lilacs, cherries, etc. But I live in NW Florida so we do get freezes.

As for ferns, I don't even know the names of them all. I have fairly large Boston ferns for the porches. I have a Kimberly fern I really love that I almost killed by leaving it with wet feet - I've been growing it for about 5 years now. I have asparagus ferns and foxtails that don't do so great. A blue fern indoors for winter. Several small houseplant ferns. A big sword fern I need to divide and allow to naturalize I think - I've had it in a large pot for about 4 years. I don't think any of my autumn ferns or wood ferns made it. That's all I can remember. I really like ferns, lol. I'm planning to set up a few large terrariums soon and see how they do. I've been scavenging containers for several years with that in mind. But I only have one fern small enough, I think, so I'll have to wait for babies to become available in stores again.

Chickens can do a number on gardens. I used to have a hen who would bring her babies around to my tiny front flower garden and destroy it.

But they are useful in the veggie garden. I had to fence the garden, but at the beginning and end of season, I'd turn a bunch of chickens in there (as well as giving ducks and geese their turns). The chickens would turn the top couple of inches over for me and get bugs. Ducks are great bug-hunters. And the geese would pluck out weeds (though my particular geese were a bit carnivorous as well).

Too bad they all rejected hornworms. I couldn't even get the guineas to eat them.

 

[Goodbook]

well nz got a lot of native ferns so have
ponga
silver fern (our native icon)
hen and chickens fern
doodia
boston fern
birds nest
maidenhair
asparagus fern
shuttlecock fern

The birds nests will grow enormous if treated well. Terrariums are good for tiny ferns and don't need to water them if enclosed. However am taking my chances outside!