Garden Pictures Chat Corner

You protected the [Jostabeere]? Mine stood outside all winter, as did the blueberry. Even more frost damage? My favorite nursery can already look forward to my birthday. I had some losses this winter.

Josta should actually get through the winter well. For me, olive and oleander are already outside, but on the balcony in front of the house - so it’s not quite as frosty there. The last few nights we've had about -5°/-6°, and they handled that well. If it gets colder again, they’ll get their protective covers back, which I haven’t put away yet. Overall, overwintering outside worked well, even though this winter was the coldest we’ve had in years. Last year I brought the oleander into the living room, which made it a bit delicate, now it is much more robust. I have also already received a columnar mirabelle, which is currently standing on the still unused tomato bed (so above ground frost) by the wall. It should tolerate that well too. I’m giving it to my mother for her birthday; until then it has to stay in the pot (mid-April). I got a new rosemary and a eucalyptus at Aldi - they are also outside by the house wall on the balcony and have tolerated the last few nights well. If it gets colder, I also have covers for both of them. Solanum and lemon are still in the winter quarters and will stay there at least until early May.

I had left almost everything outside. Properly covered before the frost, but it apparently wasn’t enough. Maybe some of the plants will still recover. In the first winter, I had brought almost everything inside, and that didn’t help either. My Chinese cabbage did not survive despite frost protection, but my summer leek, which I still had standing, was completely unaffected even without protection.

and here lay loads of dead bees – awakened by the temperatures over the weekend and then nothing to eat, because in most gardens crocuses are still not allowed to poke through the lawn :(

Would you like to explain that to me or do I understand correctly that you assume there are people who don't like crocuses in the lawn?

Maybe they do, but it interrupts the turf, the robotic mower cuts everything down. There are also a few outdoor areas here where nothing blooms. The area is as clean as a bathroom in the Schöner Wohnen magazine. However, you hardly see children playing there either. Sand dunes are probably not clean either.

My first yellow crocuses have now been joined by a few blue ones and three very shy snowdrops - I am completely thrilled.

And everywhere more and more early bloomers are poking out of the ground. Ahhh, this is so beautiful!