If the plants we're considering can't take this kind of weather, they don't get planted in our yard. Leaf mulch might work if the winds don't get too strong.

Dan

Know what you mean, Dan - I've got the same philosphy pretty much! They'll probably be fending for themselves tonight ..

We already have some snow falling here in Westminster. Nothering really sticking yet, because it was just raining/sleeting just a few minutes ago. Interesting day!

Marj

It's already "interesting" here in Thornton, and you're not that far away from me, so yours is probably similar! It was 66 here at about 0100 this morning--the temp actually went back UP a little bit when the wind picked up, and now it's 40 and going down fast, so they were right about the falling temps! Around 1100 it was heavy clouds, windy, and looking pretty nasty, then the SUN came out---and it started to RAIN! That didn't last long, and right now I have something that's kinda like corn snow! Hey! It's moisture! Bring it on!

What to do with your plants! First, if we really do get the snow before the temps get low, everything should be ok. Having said that---I was out in the clouds/wind/rain/snow because I covered a few things up---just to be sure! I definitely can't count on enough snow to provide protection here in Thornton since I'm in the Miracle Precipitationless Zone here in the V between I25 and I76! Virtually everything dissipates when it crosses I25, and then builds back up again just east of I76! It's VERY frustrating to watch the radar! Fingers crossed again this time!

Except for one thing, everything you asked about (perennials) should be totally fine in the cold, with or without the snow! The one I'd consider covering would be your hosta if it's actually past the "hard bud" stage, in other words, if the leaves are really starting to "open up" and look like leaves already. With hosta, I have a little trouble imagining yours as that far along---hosta are one of the last things to come up, but if they're more than an inch or two above the surface, I'd stick a pot over them for tonite. The new shoots on mine are there if I push back the mulch, but none of them have broken the surface yet. That's one of the things I checked to be sure about.

A couple other things I covered with pots (of varying sizes) are the columbine, where I've found that the NEW foliage will freeze pretty easily (old foliage won't be phased!) Won't hurt the plant, but then you have all the nasty brown foliage to clean up and they have to start over, and I want them to look pretty decent for the swap, so I covered them this year. And my one small Dicentra, bleeding heart, already has foliage and small buds, and I don't want to chance missing the few flowers I get, so that one got a pot. I probably wouldn't have needed to, but I also stuck a big pot over my Thalictrum, and another one over my Aruncus, goat's beard, again, kinda to be sure they still look ok at swap time!

Assuming your roses are just starting to bud/leaf out, they should be ok if it doesn't get any colder than the mid 20's, and if they get snow first, they should definitely be ok. Depending on how big the leaves are (mine are just buds so far), the leaves could get "singed" a little bit, but they'll easily grow out of it. A sheet or light weight blanket (no plastic) will help if you're worried and not gonna sleep.

The trees---I can't help with! That's why a lot of people here in Colorado/Rocky Mountains have trouble getting fruit on their fruit trees! I'm guessing your buds aren't far enough along yet to be damaged in the cold. If it's just the leaves, no problem. If the flower buds are developing, and if they freeze at just the right (or wrong, depending on your point of view!) time, then you won't get much or any fruit! As far as I know there's no way to know just exactly when "that time" is, and as you said, even if there was a way to know for sure, there's really nothing you can do about it. Are you into prayer??? ;-)

I'll keep an eye out! If you're wondering about any other specific perennials, let me know.

BIG wet flakes right now! Like you said, it IS interesting!

Skybird

Thanks Skybird! You info and reassurance are appreciated and so helpful!! We are having big fat flakes here as well. Corn snow??? I'm coming up with some crazy images with that term, but don't think they are quite like what you probably meant! ;^D

I think I'll wait a bit before putting some pots over a few things - probably my day lilies and rose (I kept it under a large amount of leaf mulch over the winter, and it is doing so much better this year I believe due to that. Many more leaves started than it had last year at this time! It also did not flower last year, so I'd like to protect it so maybe it will this year). My hostas are just pencil shoots right now, so sounds like they'll be fine. I might put a blanket over my Bethlehem Sage, as they definitlely have leaves and some flower buds. Irises are pretty hard, I think, so the leaves will probably be fine on them. Do you think my Lambs Ear will be ok? It is a fairly large clump, no flowers yet but a lot of healthy green leaves.

I'm sorry to hear you are in the "Precipitationless" Zone! Wouldn't it be great if it was possible to pipe water from regions that have flooding into areas like ours that struggle for moisture? It'd be a win-win, now wouldn't it?!! Oh well ...

Marj

LOL! No corncobs flying around here, Misty! Maybe the term isn't used anymore, but back in the Olde Days when I used to still ski, corn snow was what we called it when (mostly in spring) you'd get small "pieces" of snow--not flakes--coming down! Think: Very small, white, SOFT pieces of hail! So, when they were big enough, kind of resembling kernels of (white) corn coming down!

I've never grown Pulmonaria, so I'm not sure about that one! Covering it (if it's not snow covered) might not be a bad idea.

I have several Iris (thanks to the swaps!) and I'm not at all worried about them! Mine have had foliage all winter, and anything that's evergreen or semi-evergreen should be fine!

For that reason, the lamb's ear should be fine too! Yours has had more-or-less decent looking leaves all winter, hasn't it? Mine has, and it's growing like crazy now, and I'm not worried about it.

But I forgot you said your stuff was covered with leaves! Did you just uncover stuff in the last couple days, or has it been uncovered for a while now? Things that have tender new foliage that's been protected until just recently might need a little extra protection until they have time to fully harden off! Stuff that's been uncovered all along will take the cold much better. My daylilies are up several inches and haven't been covered with anything, and I'm not worried about them--but if yours have been covered and are actively growing, you might want to "pot them" for tonite. If you have some sort of mulch around your hostas, push a little extra up around them tonite.

Just because something has flower buds or is blooming doesn't mean it needs protection. My Arabis, rock cress is blooming, and no special protection. Creeping wall flower starting to bloom--pasque flower in full bloom--'Waterperry' Veronica starting to bloom----no protection at all for any of them! Depends on the plant! The blooming daffodils and hyacinths are probably gonna get bent over "too much" and need to be cut off and stuck in water. The stems are mostly hollow, and, like Delphinium, when the bend "in half," they can't stand back up again. Oh, well! Flowers in the house!

Wouldn't it be loverly! My best-friend-from-Denver-who-now-lives-in-New-York (Long Island) has been absolutely inundated with snow, rain, ice, and every imaginable and unimaginable type of nasty precip in existance this winter, and I've asked her if she could ship some of it out this way. She would have loved to have been able to do that!!! And I figure that since we pipe half of OUR water to California (even when we don't have enough for us), wouldn't it just be fair if New York piped a bunch of THEIR water out here to us---especially since they have so much this year! Anyway, ain't gonna happen!

I'm down to a very, very fine "snow mist" (just made that term up!) right now! Got the big wet stuff for a while, maybe an inch of it--hard to tell, and now radar has it all cleared out right here--for now at least. Hopin' more moves in soon. My front lawn really needs some moisture---and it's been way too windy to try to water!

Skybird

I'm not covering a thing except the romaine lettuce and maybe 2 primroses. everything else will just have to deal with it! Lotsa good info skybird, thanks! I think I'll go check for busted daffodils and cut a couple.
I'm loving the moisture. There's nothing like a spring storm in the Rockies and I've missed them!
Barb

Your Primula will LOVE the cold, Barb! Mine are starting to bloom and they're not getting covered. Besides the "regular" primroses I also have Primula denticulata, drumstick primrose, and the first time I ever saw them blooming, they were pushing their way up thru snow as they opened up. Primroses are a little bit like pansies! They love the cold, and when it gets hot in summer they kind of peter out and look really upset till it cools off again.

I went out a little while ago and checked on my dafs. Knocked the snow off of a couple of them since it looks like it's done up here, and found a couple laying down "from the base," which means they'll probably be ok, so, so far I'm doing ok. Still have a bunch that haven't opened yet, and am glad for that!

I'm down to 33 now! Will be interesting to see how cold it actually gets! All my swap plants (getting close to 300 by now) are on my deck---on their own! They've been outside since they were potted up, and I'm not expecting any problems.

Skybird

Thanks, skybird! I planted 2 primroses and 6 pansies a couple of weekends ago and the primroses actually got frost damage the first week. The pansies have sailed on through. I'll skip covering them. They'll just have to toughen up!
Barb

Yes, Skybird - my lambs ear kept it's leaves through the winter (although they did get a bit bedraggled looking). I took most of the leaf mulch off out of my various flower beds probably a couple of weeks ago. Think that hardied up the new growth a bit? Again, I most likely will cover a few things up that seem the most vulnerable as a precaution - and hope for the best for the others!

Oh, I found a pic of your corn snow Skybird (click the pic to go to the website)!

Yes, definitely looks different than my initial imaginings! :^D I like your 'snow mist' term, too. We made up one for when it rains and snows - snrain!

Wow Skybird - 300 plants for the swap!!! You are amazing! I have been potting up a few things, but want to wait until a bit closer to the date to post what I have (to be sure what all is in good shape to bring).

Marj

Yep! That's corn snow, Misty! Or, at least what we Olde (ex) Skiers (Pre-snowboard olde!) used to call corn snow! :-) [Hey! My original boots--circa '64--were double tie boots, and most people still had cable bindings--if anybody still knows what those are, and some people still had WOOD skis!]

My lambs ear gets real unhappy looking over winter too. So would I if I had to sleep out there in the dirt every nite!!! By now I've cut all of "last year's" leaves off, and I think that's what's gotten it growing so well now.

If the leaves have been off of your plants for a couple weeks, they should be about as well hardened off as they're gonna get. The bottom line is that if there's anything you're gonna lay awake in bed worrying about, cover it up. It's worth it if it'll help get a good nite's sleep! If you have pots big enough for the things you decide to cover, that's the quickest, easiest way I've found to cover individual plants that are in the ground. For bigger plants or a big area, old bed sheets are the best. Don't use plastic on anything--it transmits the cold anywhere where it's touching the plants.

I admit that when I went out a little while ago to un-snow the rest of the daffodils, I looked at the swap plants and chickened out! I threw a couple sheets over them! Decided I've put too much work into them to take a chance! I really do think they would have been ok on their own, but thinking about them just might have kept me awake! I have more things than I've posted done now too, and just haven't gotten around to posting them yet. There's time! [And I'm gonna do a Tease this year! I have a few things I haven't had before, and only a couple of each, and I'm gonna wait to surprise people with them the day of the swap!!! Mean Olde Lady swapper here!]

Barb, it sounds like your primroses were either grown inside (or in California or Florida), or else they were moved inside and kept there for a while before you bought them. If they've been out for a couple weeks, they should be ok now---and if there should be a little bit of leaf damage (from last time or tonite), cut off those leaves (all the way down on the bottom) and the new leaves will start growing even faster once the old ones are gone. I cut all the old "winter leaves" off of mine a couple weeks ago, and now they're going crazy producing buds, flowers, and new leaves. (And when they start to bloom, deadhead the individual flowers and they'll keep blooming until it gets too hot!)

Misty, I have a term for when it rains and snows at the same time too! I call it A MESS!

As I feared, this Snow Storm turned out to be another dud! No snow cover to protect anything here tonite! But the furnace is running!

Skybird

Some crazy weather, I agree. Parker got I'd say, 2 inches of wet snow on the ground. It was blowing sideways for a long while too.
I covered up some of my new seedlings with a old towel but that's all. The rest, I think, will be alright without my help.

Sounds like what we have been dealing with has made it's way to the Front Range.

We were in the mid-70's yesterday, our warmest day yet, and I got my first gardener's stripe of the season. You know, that sunburn across your lower back, from bending over : ) Anyway, the winds started around 2 in the afternoon, and howled all night long. This morning it started snowing sideways, and snowed till mid afternoon. Thankfully, it didn't stick to the roads.

We are currently at 33º, but I'm not covering anything. The only things I ever worry about are my edibles, which haven't been planted out yet, and any newly planted perennial or annual sprouts. Full sized perennials are on their own.

Bonnie

Okay, that temperature did not look like that when I previewed my post ...

Kvenket, are your seedlings still in their wintersown containers? A good percentage of my containers have sprouted, but most are either perennial or hardy annuals, so the milk jug will probably provide enough protection. Now if any of my tomatoes had sprouted, I would be singing a different tune : )

YOU SAID IT SKYBIRD "As I feared, this Snow Storm turned out to be another dud!" Although it just the third of April my bet for no April dumping still stands :(

22F here this morning, and a mixed blessing. This will 'nuke' the green ash flowers* and pollen, of which I'm badly allergic and made the fundamental error of planting 100 of the things around the perimeter, but, alas, the apricot is in full bloom as well.

The storm here was a total fizzle, with an occasional sprinkle that barely dampened the sidewalks.

*green ash flowers look something like cat droppings on a twig.

My Toka plum decided it was nice enough to bloom starting on Friday. Now they are completely frozen! So bummed!!!! The Toka bloomed even before the Japanese plums. I wrapped the trunks in white a few weeks ago hoping to keep them cool enough, but the Toka was determined to bloom. A few of the Elephant Heart blooms had opened too, but I'm hoping most will make it.

This has been the weirdest weather ever!

highalt,
Yep, my sprouts are still in their WS containers. They will probably stay in those for a while. Most are perennials or cool weather edibles. Still have to decide what to do with our tiny, sloped, bare-dirt back yard. Our strict HOA rules kinda put a damper on the little urban jungle I had in mind, lol.

It got down to 18F here last night. It looks like most things came through okay except for the asparagus :-( All spears look frozen and damaged. I thought they were coming up early this year. I should have covered them with straw. All well lesson learned. I imagine they'll be okay if I just trim off the frozen spears.

I'm up a little higher than Greg and on a southwest exposure, so here we were mid-20s F (altho I see Quincy Reservoir was 22F). Uncovered low tunnel was 37, so no big deal around here, and .31" of Liquid Water Equivalent precip, to boot! Better'n a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Daffies starting to pop back up too.

Dan

I got down to 25 last nite, and everything came thru with flying colors! A few of the things that prefer cold look BETTER than they did before! The wind made it a little bit chilly, but I was out in the yard doing some miscellaneous things today anyway. Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful--then cooler again, with "possibilities" of precip! I'm not buying it!!!

Kat, if your yard is sloped, seriously consider doing some sort of terracing to level the soil. Watering on a slope--even a gentle one--is really hard. At the swap try to remember to have a look at my Escape-Proof Garden! It's less than 2' wide, but it's sloped--doesn't really look like it should be much of a problem, but it was impossible to water until I half buried some 2 X 4 pieces here and there to keep the water from immediately running off. In this case the area isn't visible from the yard, and you wouldn't want to do that, but maybe a couple railroad ties or bricks or something--depending on the degree of the slope. I had tried using bark mulch to make it easier to water, but it turned out that the mulch just kept washing down to the bottom--and a lot of water was wasted in trying to get the plants watered deeply enough to grow well! And it'll be a lot easier to do some sort of terracing now than it would be after you've started putting plants in. Just something to think about.

Skybird

Sorry I took a tangent with this thread...
Skybird,
I am looking forward to seeing your gardens.
Regarding our yard, we also need to decide what else we want there. Maybe a little deck or patio, a fence...