Maybe you have heard that we just got hit by something, which meteorologists call a “bomb cyclone”: A rotating storm with a cold center that is combined with a very strong dip in atmospheric pressure. Whatever it was called, it brought us the first snow of 2018. Here in New York City, it was less dramatic than the name might suggest. We had worse blizzards. Nevertheless, it snowed from morning until afternoon, and our snow team braved the elements five times to clear the sidewalk.
Shoveling while the snow still comes down hard. The garden got a nice thick blanket.
From a gardener’s perspective, all that snow is great. This is because next in the forecast are several days of particularly cold temperatures (down to 3ºF) and strong winds. But our garden has now a warm blanket that will protect it from this bitter weather.
Meanwhile, some “sissy” plants enjoy a vacation indoors. Hibiscus, coleus, plumbagos, pelargoniums and begonias would be long dead otherwise. They are looking forward to spring, just like us!
This hibiscus likes it warm and got droopy when the temperature in its winter home temporarily dropped below 50ºF. It perked up when it got warm again.