Got palm trees? If you live in Florida or Hawaii, that’s a wonderful thing. For those of us who live in far less balmy locations, that’s wonderful in the summer time, but when fall and winter hit those palm trees and other delicate perennials are going to wish that they were vacationing down in Florida as well.
We tend to push the limits of our garden zones these days, because there are just so many wonderful plants to choose from. What nursery owners don’t always tell you is that those banana plants and palms have wonderful summer foliage, but they can struggle through the winter. These plants get burned by frost and weighed down with snow, and they may die. While a single small perennial isn’t too much of an expense, replacing large perennials can get tough on the budget.
Take a look at the usual frost date for your area. This varies quite a bit between areas, so look closely at yours. Plan to wrap up your delicate plants a couple of weeks before the usual frost date. Remember that the date is an average, and frost can come earlier or later than that date. The frost doesn’t care!
Get some burlap. Try not to get it in bags, since you will need to cut them open. If you can, get landscaping burlap from a hardware or garden store. Craft burlap tends to be more expensive. Wrap the bottom of small palms with a double layer of burlap. Some of the lowest leaves may need to be removed to use this method.
If you’re feeling very inspired and you have a lot of leaves available, you can also use chicken wire to construct a cage around tender plants. Place leaves inside the wire enclosure, then place plastic around the outside to prevent moisture from entering the enclosure. This will also provide an insulating layer for your plants without the need to wrap leaves tightly.
Do you break the zone rules in gardening? How do you cope in the winter time?