Wrapping up for winter

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Those of you will have noticed that I sometimes mention my mother and her penchant for tender plants. Well tender for up here – maybe not so for some of you.
The list this year includes phormium, scented pelargonium and a rather large Cordyline Australis (3 stems).
Luckily I was at hand to stop her lifting a lovely, large and expensive yukka 2 weeks ago.
The afore mentioned Cordyline Red Star – came into the garden in February (lucky it was a mild winter). It had 3 stems and was around a metre high. To start with how on earth she managed to get it in the car escapes me!!
I thought it best to plant this in a container – off we went to purchase a container suitable enough in size.
I kept it in a sheltered corner behind a Rhododenron until I was sure it was warm enough to venture ‘out’.
She decided that the best place to put it would be up on the decking – It would make a nice backdrop for other containers she told me. I was so pleased that I had filled the bottom of the pot with polystryrene to cut down on the weight. Up onto the deck it was placed – sunny, sheltered and out of the wind.
The cats (3 young boys) decided that this plant made a great climbing frame – they promptly snapped one of the stems – thus making it a bi-stemmed. I had to saw it off (at an angle).
I’ve rambled on there a bit and I didn’t mean too!
Time has come to sort out some protection for the winter – so this is what I’ve chosen to do – whether or not it will be successful, goodness only knows. At least she can’t say I didn’t try :))

Here it is…foliage all pulled up and tied using garden twine and a kind of wigwam created out of long garden canes. I’ve managed to push them right down into the pot which should stop them falling over. Please note the afore mentioned Phormium to the left – I will tackle that tomorrow :))

Note to self…you really must pretty up that shed window :))

I found an old excersise mat lying around in the shed – I thought this might work like lagging on a water tank. I used bungy ropes to hold it in place as I didn’t think string would be strong enough and I couldn’t find any old clothes lines (I know there is some but it is somewhere safe!!!!).
I filled up to the top with straw – you can just see the new shoot to the rear and a sedum stem which broke of the parent plant a few weeks back. I just stuck it in here in hope it will root – I’ll just leave it there, you never know.

Experience has taught me that anything sharp tears the winter plant fleece. To combat this problem at the top end of the wigwam – I tied together some garden netting I had lying around and used cable ties to attach it to the top of the canes…..

A quick shuffle around with some of the other pots awaiting their winter treatment, skateboard at the ready (forgot to take a picture) and pushed into the corner and back up on bricks.
A large fleece was pulled down over the top – attached with another bungy around the pot and a couple of cable ties at the top.

There you have it – I hope I’ve done enough. If I’ve missed anything or not taken anything into consideration – please let me know.

Thanks for reading xx

• 18 Oct, 2012
• 15 likes

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