I'm still waiting and watching to determine the final count of lost plants after our wicked winter. The snow totals at the end of April showed that we were only a few inches shy of our normal seasonal snowfall. But we had extremely cold temperatures before we had any significant snow cover to protect plants.
Most of our snow came very late in the season in March and April, the point in the year when snow is usually on its way out for us. We never had the deep snow cover needed to bury shrubs susceptible to winter burn. At this point it is pretty obvious what's gone and what will recover.
. . .
This dwarf Chamaecyparis, planted in a southern exposure, came through the winter beautifully.
Dwarf Chamaecyparis, 3 yrs. old, purchased as one of a group of three with the plants above and below. This one was on the north side of the house to protect against winter burn. It seems to have two green bits left but I don't think I am going to try to save it.
I thought this one was in the most protected spot and yet it fared the worst.
Abies balsamea 'Jamy', 6 yrs. old
Taxus baccata 'Beanpole', 16 yrs. old from Heronswood. Each year this suffers dieback and it is going out this year.
Chamaecyparis 'Green Arrow', 12 yrs. old and about 7 feet tall. It is one of three I planted in 2006 and now I will be down to one. The remaining one suffered some damage but not like this. This plant is supposed to be extremely hardy and is Zone 4, so go figure.
I know from other bad winters that the ivy will come back but it will take at least three years to begin to fill the space it occupies and not be an eyesore. This time I am pulling it out.
This ivy and a patch of equally sad Vinca came from my parent's house when my Dad went into a nursing home because of his Alzheimer's. My grandparents had lived there before my parents bought the house from them. So these unpopular and environmentally problematic plants will no longer live in my garden. I'll keep the memories but ditch these groundcovers.
In a snowy winter, this clumping bamboo gets mostly buried and emerges green in the spring with just minor browning on top. That quickly disappears as new growth emerges. In a bad winter like the one we just had, the bamboo dies back to the ground and will take at least 3 years to fill in and look good again.
The clump was getting big enough that it needed to be cut back but now we are going to dig it out entirely. Its brown appearance rather detracts from my Iris river. I've already bought a shrub to potentially fill the space.
Lots of my Carex plants, which barely turn brown at all during the winter, suffered badly this year. This one is starting to come back and should provide enough greenery to make a statement even if it is not quite as dramatic as before.
Serious damage on our 15-yr.-old Russian Cypress (center back). Have never had this happen before! Everyone I've talked to has mentioned their variegated Carexes died back or died out this winter. Though some of this survived, this is not a plant that is pulling its weight so out it goes.
Chamaecyparis 'Heather Bun', 18 yrs. old. Most winters this is buried under snow including everything blown off the driveway. It grows so abundantly that I usually prune it on and off all season. The evergreen in front of it had been struggling and gave up the ghost.
Mark has probably pruned off 2/3 of Heather Bun including these big yellowed clumps. I think this will recover but it may take a while.
Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Compacta', a 16-yr.-old treasure from Heronswood that suffered major damage for the fist time ever. We'll cut the dead off and hope it recovers. It's always been one of my favorites and I'd hate to see it go.
Last, but certainly not least, the Arborvitae hedge that separates our front garden from our neighbor's parking area. This usually suffers some broken branches from the weight of the snow but not this kind of dieback.
This hedge is so old that I was not keeping plant records when we put it in. It is likely that we will have to remove some of the shrubs and decide exactly how we are going to deal with these unexpected gaps.
A five year old Caroline Silverbell tree still has not leafed out or flowered and appears to be dead along with a nice little 3 year old Heather and probably other things that I've already pulled out and forgotten.
Three other plants that I just put in last year and were listed as hardy to Zone 5 did not survive. I knew I was taking a chance when a new introduction announces that a plant we never could grow now has a Zone 5 option. But who would say no to being able to grow an Alstroemeria or a Sarcococca in our zone. As for the Pieris (above), one survived and one did not. The one pictured is P. japonica 'Angel Falls' and was photographed from above as it is currently caged for rabbit protection.
I am taking the lessons of this winter to heart and thinking carefully about replacements. Despite warmer winters as one of the potential effects of climate change, I am going to stick with Zone 5 — or preferably colder — for new shrubs. And I am also going to get things that need less attention from this aging gardener.
It was a hard Winter. Sorry about all your losses. We plant this weekend. Buy HUGE tomato plants at the farmer's market and put in tubs at the lake edge, our only sun. And because of the inpatiens fungus I must find another red plant for around the deck tree. Weird weather... this year has been Winter, Rain and now Summer. I've never seen Lake Monona this high this early in the last 9 years.
Posted by: Rae Kaiser | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 07:54 AM
You had a lot of losses, which is hard on a gardener's heart. Sometimes, though, when I finally give up on something that has died or isn't pulling it's weight I like the the opportunity to find something new. And sometimes it's a really good thing because it was in a crowded area due to poor planting planning or growth that exceeded expectations. I'm sure you don't have that problem....
Posted by: Barbara H. | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 09:02 AM
Sorry for all your losses from this brutal winter.
Posted by: Peter/Outlaw | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 10:36 AM
Ugh, that's a lot of damage (and death). The thing I see about climate change, and our theoretically warming winters, is that it's not an absolute. Sure four out of five will be warmer, but then you get that one colder and bam! That's the end of the marginal plants you've fallen in love with.
Posted by: Loree / danger garden | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 10:43 AM
A sad set of losses; I'm so sorry. This was one of the worst kinds of winter, with a long fall drought leading in and deep, prolonged cold early on with no snow cover. If there were dwarf conifers growing here, the losses would probably approach yours. I bet the over-15-year-olds will rebound, given their root systems. Maybe their new shapes will just add more wabi-sabi.
Good move on the ivy and vinca. That graceful chartreuse-leaved woody plant makes a gorgeous spring vignette whatever ground cover you decide on.
One of the plants worst hit by winter here was an ivy, the white-variegated sterile cultivar 'Glacier' that grew out of a tiny abandoned pot to form a big patch of groundcover under a mature beech. It's recovering, but all the new leaves are about twice normal size -- and the small foliage was part of its charm. We'll see what happens over the summer. Fall and early winter are its best time, when it sets off dark green hellebore foliage handsomely.
Posted by: Nell | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 01:02 PM
Wow, the winter was not kind to your garden. The top died on the Silverbell that was only a year old in our garden . It looks weird. I guess we will have to cut out the top and train a limb as leader. I was hopeful that leaves would eventually pop out on it but I doubt they ever will. I lost the standard that I made from a Viburnum Mariessi. It had been in a pot for what was a 4th year. I lost several things in pots. Yes, it was a bad un.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 03:08 PM
Dang Linda! That just sucks. I also have a clumping bamboo, and you know, we often don't get snow in Oklahoma except for some years, and it was on the north side of my garden at the edge of the garage border. Every year, it looked like hell in spring. So, this year, I moved it to the southeast side of the house. We'll see how it fares there. It's all such experimentation, gardening. The more we know, the more complicated it sometimes seems. I'm sorry you lost so many plants. I really am.They leave some holes in the garden to fill. ~~Dee
Posted by: Dee A Nash | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 07:01 PM
Yes, I've been taking stock lately, too. Most of the losses were recent additions, and some are slowly coming back, but that lack of snow in January and February was really brutal. It wasn't even really colder than normal, but without snow, the plants were so vulnerable.
Posted by: Beth @ PlantPostings | Friday, May 25, 2018 at 09:35 PM
I have to say I'm astounded by your losses. I had a few as well but not anything close to what you've experienced, and now with the flush of May growth I'm putting it behind me, but to see your 10+ year old plants completely dead or disfigured I have to say I'm sorry for you.
Here the winter had cold spells but only a few which were worse than usual. Most of my losses I blame on a warm autumn followed by a rapid, frigid cold. Just yesterday I was looking at the dogwoods and realized only the younger plants have damage, and it's all the more vigorous growing tips which died back. I'm guessing they didn't harden off properly since they were actively growing late in the season.
Posted by: Frank | Sunday, May 27, 2018 at 07:12 AM