Getting ready for the first freeze

Salvia chiapensis

Attempting to understand the weather here in the Pacific Northwest has been a challenge. You can watch several local weather channels or consult various websites and get wide fluctuations, especially when it comes to temperature predictions. Part of this is because the geographic range is so variable. Forecasters generally give their predictions for the coast, the Columbia River Gorge and the Willamette Valley which will have different conditions. Even the Wilamette Valley forecast isn't necessarily a reliable prediction for us in Vancouver, because it is often colder here (and technically speaking, we are not in the Willamette Valley). And of course, there are micro-climates...

Several gardening friends have recommended Weather Underground as a good source and one that is better tuned for specific regions. So, Weather Underground predicts our low tonight at 26. Regardless of a freeze or not, most of the weather experts do predict that we are in for SNOW and perhaps some freezing precipitation on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. 

In anticipation of the first frost, I have been busy covering plants with pots and plastic and spreading buckets of extra mulch. I looked over my plant inventory and the following plants cause me the most concern:

California Lilac (Ceonothus)
Escallonia
Fatsia
Fushias
Himalayan Whorlflower (Morina longifolia)
Pineapple Guava (Feijoa sellowiana)
Echium
Sweet Pea Shrub (Polygala fruiticosa)
Salvia Chiapensis
Calla Lily (Zantedechia)

Our garden is new and open at the moment and has not developed any protection from neighboring plants. A few of the plants on the above list are in the front garden which faces north but some are in the back which is better sheltered. Whatever the outcome, this will be a learning experience. I think everything will be okay, especially if the cold temperatures are short-lived. Whatever happens, it is going to be interesting and exciting! Bring it on!

I am sure the Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) will be toast as it never survived our Alabama winters. I have always treated it as an annual.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy