uh oh
So this is what wishful thinking got me. I will cut all the dead stuff off and hope for the best, but I fear my vision of a massive Phormium tenax anchoring this bed will never be realized. Had I wrapped it snugly against the deep freeze, would the diagnosis be any better, I wonder? The new Yucca ‘Bright Edge’ came through unscathed, so I will be moving in that direction with replacement purchases.
This well-established tree has lost its military bearing. Unlike the dry, lightweight snow that fell in great quantities and lasted over a week in ‘08, doing little damage, our recent snowfall was wet and heavy. I’m hoping this guy will recover with time.
Here is another victim. I must pass both of these sufferers any time I leave the house. It is like having disapproving uncles “tsk tsk”ing at me. How much effort can it be to take broom in hand to relieve them of their burden? I promise to try to become a better caretaker in future.
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Don’t beat yourself up about the Flax Ricky. I wrapped and mine are still looking tattered. Mother Nature is a powerful lady.
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Thanks, Loree~It was you I was comparing myself to, and coming up short. We will have to compare our results as time goes by.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:50 am
Hiya Ricki,
We learned the hard way last year and this winter have been smacking all the ice-laden trees within our reach religiously after every new snowfall.
And the telephone line carrying this comment to you was shaken up as soon as ice/snow reached 2 inches.
Now I read that we are in for another mini ice-age next week.
Sigh.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Ditto on the phormiums. And this after the eye sores of last year. Did I learn anything? Hell no. I let it happen again. Even my containerized-under-the-deck-roof ones look pathetic. I’m with you. Yucca is the way to go. I too, thought Loree’s phormiums looked really good.
Is that a Leucothoe next to the crabby uncle in the last photo? Or maybe a Mahonia? It’s fabuloso!
When I saw Joco’s comment about the coming ice age, I panicked for a minute. Now that blood has returned to my brain, I’m going to assume that this person lives, far FAR away from us.
January 24th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Ricki and Grace, my containerized Phormiums look great, the ones in the ground…are slowly fading. I took a few pictures yesterday and will get them up soon.
January 24th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Jo~Ouch! Where is it you are located again?
Grace~The crabby uncle’s companion is Mahonia ‘Arthur Menzies’. When I bought it at an HPSO sale, the cashier giggled and said she always thought of it as Arturio Mendez. It has yet to bloom. The long racemes that were coming on browned up and fell off after our freeze. The specimens at Cistus are a good six feet tall.
Loree~Shucky darns! I was thinking greater diligence would make all the difference. Not so?
January 25th, 2010 at 1:05 am
I covered my flax in frost cloth, and it looks crummy! Fully encasing it in R-13 insulation might have been the thing. It’s so hard to justify when we’ve had mostly 50 degree weather all winter. It seems like a couple cold nights should be forgiven!
May 10th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Thanks for this share m8!