The temperature dipped down into the 20s (F) on Monday night, and my backyard foxglove farm was coated with frost when the sun came up.
I grew all those from seed, and as you can see, some of them haven't made it. The squirrels dug up a few, and others simply dwindled away. But I'm taking a very hands-off approach to their survival. I have too many anyway, so Darwin needs to go to work for me here.
I know I say this every year, but this may be the last time I mess with foxglove seeds. The ones that survive will be pretty in spring, though.
20F is quite cold for London. Let me check, ohh, minus 7. The survival of the fittest is underway.
ReplyDeleteIt was high 20s F -- more like -3 C. But still cold!
DeleteYour foxglove seeds statement is like some famous singer announcing their retirement — until next year. They even look pretty covered in frost.
ReplyDeleteHa! "It's my FINAL TOUR! I SWEAR!"
DeleteThat's quite a lot, but I bet you have even more self-seeded ones.
ReplyDeleteWe do have some wild ones at the side of the house. They seem to self-seed quite well. The cultivated hybrids take a little more nurturing.
DeleteI can see daffodils pushing through in the border next to Foxglove Farm. "Foxglove Farm" could be nominated for a Newbery - the tale of a city dog called Olga who went to live on a farm and frolicked with the farm animals while her owner milked the cows with his bare hands.
ReplyDeleteThose sound like famous last words of the gardener..
ReplyDeleteProbably! :)
DeleteWe had an ice storm on Sunday and, with the exception of branches breaking off the hundred or so trees on our property and falling to the ground, the iciness was quite pretty.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see the movie "The Ice Storm" with Joan Allen and Kevin Kline? One of my favorite films. (Kind of a tangent, but there you go.)
DeleteI did see that. I am a sucker for Joan Allen.
DeleteBless their little foxglove hearts. They may be done but check them on Easter as they may rise from the dead. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteI don't think they'll all die. The hardy ones will pull through. Foxgloves are wild here so they're made to survive an English winter.
DeleteYour boss definitely should not have come into work and you guys were right to send her home. What the hell people, although even I want to bend the rules sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI hope the foxgloves survive, I hope mine survive too. It's been so cold this winter. We had a wild winter storm the other night, lots of blowing snow and wind and it's cold again.
I think it's sometimes hard to step back and evaluate one's own situation objectively (re Covid). Sometimes another person is needed to point out the obvious.
DeleteI like your frosty foxglove nursery!
ReplyDeleteIt's natural that some of them will die, but most will survive, I think.
DeleteI love your perspective, "...Darwin needs to go to work for me here." I plan to adopt that for so many things!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Nature will take its course.
DeleteFrosty foxgloves make future frilly flowers. (Sorry for that little alliteration.)
ReplyDeleteFabulous! :)
DeleteI had to google why they call it Foxglove and it certainly wasn't why I had assumed.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was just the shape of the flower -- no?
DeleteYes, the flower looks like an gloved fingers. I'm not familiar with them and just had the picture above to go upon and was trying to figure out exactly how they looked anything like gloves or foxes.
DeleteThey may surprise you and make it through. We're supposed to drop into the 20s Friday night. Today though is warm enough to have the door open.
ReplyDeleteI think some of them will certainly survive. The stronger ones are equipped to overwinter here.
DeleteSome plants are prepared for frost.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they're durable and made for this climate.
DeleteBrrrr! Some plants do very well in frost; hope these survive to bloom. I like their leaves!
ReplyDeleteI like their leaves too, though I sometimes have trouble telling them apart from other plants like borage or alkanet.
DeleteDang - But Makes For Some Priceless Images - And As Long As Olga Girl Is Warm, Life Carries On
ReplyDeleteCheers
Nowhere near as chilly as you are in Colorado, I'm sure!
DeleteThat's pretty cold! But I bet you have survivors in there, even if only from reseeding themselves.
ReplyDeleteYeah, some will surely survive. (Fingers crossed!)
DeleteI do love their leaves. I hope more than a few survive, Steve. I'm trying to winter geraniums. I'm not optimistic!
ReplyDeleteWe just bring the geraniums indoors. They look terrible for a few months and then in the spring they come out again.
DeleteI gave up on seeds so long ago I can't remember. I decided I didn't have the touch. Looks like you are doing ok. Can't wait to see the end result.
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on the seed! Some grow more easily than others! But they ARE a pain, particularly when the squirrels decide to dig them all up. :/
DeleteThey do look quite lovely with the frost on them. Since you seem determined not to plant from seeds again, I hope some of these survive! Speaking of Darwin, I haven't seen any "Darwin Awards" in recent years. They're always hilarious (in a sad way).
ReplyDeleteYeah, I haven't paid much attention to the Darwin Awards recently -- but I'm sure they're still happening.
DeleteHopefully, some will survive and make you happy in the spring
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed! You'll see pictures in May or June!
DeleteThey look all right to me but what do I know?
ReplyDeleteMany of them are fine. I didn't mean to suggest they'd all die -- just some of the weaker ones.
DeleteRE: Foxgloves. For years I grew biennial foxgloves in NYS, they self seeded and always survived the hard winters. In fact, they naturalized in some of the wild areas of our property. I agree that some of yours will survive.
ReplyDelete