A Freeze the night I planted the Bare Roots

Posted one day in arrears

WHERE IS THAT GROUNDHOG?   Actually, he didn't see his shadow but this freeze came out of no where.  I knew that it would be in the mid-70's this week.  So after I had planted 19 of the 22, I lied down on the couch to read other people's blog (who actually know what they are doing...when I read this from Secrets of a Seed Scatterer's blog     When It Freezes in the Deep South.

I rushed to check the weather report, and sure enough, it was gonna be 28 degrees tonight.  I , quickly jumped up (cursing so much I would make Terret's look good) and covered the Mexican Heather I so impatiently put in the ground.  What was going to happen to the new roses I put in the ground!

7:37 am....Needless to say I was not going to put the three climbers I had soaking in the ground this morning.

This is what it looked like this morning.  The thermostat read 32 degrees.

All of the roses' leaves were droppy but I had a feeling that it was from the weight of the ice.  The new roses I planted were heavily watered and it's my understanding that , that insulates plants...why?  Couldn't tell you.

This morning in the greenhouse the temperature showed 34 degrees.  Last night I left the heat lamps on all night.  I have a space heater but it's unpredictable.  This is after about 10 mins of it running.   

I had plants outside last night which I , quickly rushed into the greenhouse.  I, also, made sure there were no gaps in the coldframe.

You see the space heater in the bottom left.  You don't see in this picture a dark rain barrel in the on the right corner of the greenhouse.  Yesterday, my greenhouse hit 100 degrees.  I put this rain barrel in the greenhouse for convenience   What I read is that when you put barrels of water (they have to be dark) they warm up during the day and radiate heat at night.  It is my understanding it won't warm the greenhouse, but it will prevent it from freezing.  Given it was 34 degrees there....what a difference a degree makes is all I have to say.

Leaves of the bare roots just planted.

This what they looked like a few hours later....They are okay....whew.

Now, my ADHD is taking control

Mental note, don't forget the dahlia tubers in the garage.

I learned something about bare root roses.  Evidently, bare roots are graft onto rootstock, grown for about two years, and then harvested...and that is we see in the package...which begs the question?  When we need to transplant a rose, why don't we just lop it off, dig it up, and move it????

There are many advantages and consideration I want to mention about the backyard rose bed.

• I have 15 acres and I like to see flowers at every turn and corner.  So last year I plant them everywhere.  The problem with this is that they were all new and it tooks hours to take care of newly planted plants.  I have no idea how many plants I have put in backyard garden project but I suspect about 90 including the ornamentals.  There were a few things (4) that I planted elsewhere but when you are rushing to respond to things like freezes I was VERY grateful that I planted all these plants in the same spot.  It took me an 30 mins to water them vs two hours, had they been scattered.   I watered them after the frost melted.
• I can already tell my experience is growing.  Last year, I planted flowers everywhere, but it lacked....experience?  Meaning it was a haphazard concept.  I do not like overly manicured gardens but they have their place.  I do like an err of "natural".  However, most of the property affords an informal look, however, the backyard required formality because a.) it is part of the interior of the house..most of the back of the house has windows...the gardens essentially become paintings. b.)when walking on the back porch you see "lines"   meaning everything has 90 degree angles so formality would be more harmonious.
• The front of property (approx 6 acres) is what visitors and guests see.  I can tell you that my concepts rapidly improving, so I would rather wait when I have an even more experience, to design it so the back yard is a stepping stone.
• The backyard is my "personal garden"  This is what I look at the most.  
• It is also my testing garden...poor plants.  I have planted many, many varieties.  This will give me some experience as to how roses (and different roses) respond to certain elements.  For instance, I know climbing golden showers grow faster then my other climbing roses but they don't like the heat as much.
• It will serve as my cutting garden, but from last year..I wanted my cake and eat it too.  I wanted to be able to stare at them and cut them at the same time.  Well with over 60 in the ground, I suspect there will be roses that won't be noticed if I cut them.

PS  2/3/12...the mexican heather did get hurt, but I don't think they are dead.  The ones under the fountain and around the house are protected so they fared very well.   

All roses and even a bottlebrush got planted.  Front porch bed got mulched with tons of Mexican Heather babies.  The 300 plus bulbs of tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinth, lillies, iris and I am sure I am forget one is starting to sprout.  The azaleas, camellias, dogwoods, tulip trees, bradford pears are starting to bud...we are about to have a performance.

Final note, I have dinnerplate dahlias tubers that I bought that were in a bag.  I didn't know what to them but they were starting to root. I put them in a shallow pail and lightly covered them lightly with soil and sprayed them.  They are on covered porch.  I am sure this wasn't what I was supposed to do but I had to do something.  Will take care of them tomorrow, as soon as I find out how.