I did not post last week as, for the first time in my blogging history, it was too cold to go outside. Most of Florida experienced the coldest Christmas in 30 years. On the Treasure Coast we had temperatures in the mid 30s (close to 0 C) with a cold north wind coming off the Atlantic. Ordinarily our average low is 40 F (4.4 C).
Above is a Mammey Croton, these are notoriously cold sensitive and true to form, it is dropping leaves. Advice on this is to leave it alone and they will grow back with warmer weather. It had not occurred to me to cover it. The orchids I thought about covering, but didn’t are fine as is another Croton. This one may get a bit more wind.
Below is Miss Alice Bougainvillea, burned by the cold, and currently ‘snowing’ white bracts. This is already coming back nicely.
I am fortunate to have gotten off to a late start on planting seeds. Earlier in December, I planted tomatoes, peppers, basil, sunflowers, papayas, Chinese forget me nots and a few types of zinnias. The plants were just getting big enough to pot up when the cold hit. They spent a few days in the bathtub of our guest bathroom. I was surprised to see some cold damage on the zinnia seedlings and grew some pink slime mold on the surface of the potting mix. This pink stuff had me scratching my head for a bit, did I lose a Pepto Bismol tablet somehow? An internet search revealed the pink slime mold, I have only seen the dog vomit version of this in shades of yellow.
The seedlings. I have Lost Marbles, Black Cherry and Sweet 100 tomatoes and two red bell pepper plants. I gave up on big tomatoes a few years ago and usually have bumper crops of cherry tomatoes. Lost Marbles is a good name for this past year! I am letting these recover a bit before potting them up, hoping for Valentine’s tomatoes.
More seedlings. The zinnias seem to be recovering, though I lost several. I think a cast iron bathtub on the north wall might be colder that I thought it would be. The three seedlings in the second row are papayas grown from two Mexican Papayas we ate this fall. (I have been making Papaya Coconut cupcakes). It takes about a year to get fruit from a seedling if you get a hermaphrodite plant (with self pollinating flowers) Time will tell on these papaya seedlings; they can be male, female or hermaphrodite.
An unusual sight, but not around here. I took my dog to the vet (a neighbor’s Rottweiler bit her! she is doing well). Near the vet’s office is the former estate of Frances Langford, a movie star from fifty years ago. She kept a flock of peacocks and their descendants are still around today. There were about twenty of them, hens and peacocks. Not a great picture, but I always enjoy seeing them. Fiona the greyhound was puzzled.
That is my six from warmer South Florida. It is 84 F (28 C) today and I am grateful for the warmth. To see more posts, visit our host, Jim at gardenruminations.co.uk
Happy New Year and Happy Gardening!!
The Shrub Queen 
You are a true Southerner. I was amazed when I moved to the South that people thought 50 degrees was cold. Now I agree!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s worse than that, I am a Floridized Southerner! Now I hate shoes and long pants.
Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love it. I travel back home often and can’t get used to wearing a coat.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You flirted with 0°C… Your plants are lucky, even if some have suffered some damage.
Papaya Coconut cupcakes, Yum!…
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones, see you soon for other Sixes in 2023
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are right and we may not have seen all the damage yet, some plants are still yellowing and dropping foliage. Looking forward to more Sixes in 2023!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How fortunate you had not yet planted out the tomatoes and zinnias! Happy New Year!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so, though the zinnias are looking somewhat worse for wear. Happy New Year to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor Fiona! I hope she recovers and has no more trouble from that rotten Rottie! 😡
84º sounds lovely, but we’re enjoying unseasonably warm weather in the 40s, possibly 50s in the next few days, so I can’t complain too much.
Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fiona thanks you, Eliza. Fortunately, she is taller than the rotten Rottie, the vet said she was very lucky and she has taken this in stride. Sounds like we all had a nice warm up from last week. Happy New Year.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your Zinnias are at the same stage as mine! They have been very slow this year and I noticed on an old blog that we had beautiful flowers on New Year’s Day. I’m sorry about the damage to Fiona. A new Rottweiler has moved in next door to us along with a Great Dane, and I don’t feel too pleased about that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, that is interesting. I had zinnias on New Years last year as well. Maybe Valentine’s Day this year. Fiona says thank you, she has another week of antibiotics and has decided she dislikes all Rottweilers now. I am leery of Rotties, but love Great Danes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My you’ve been busy! Happy New Year!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Susie. Happy New Year to you! I think I will need to plant more zinnias…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gee, the new bougainvilleas here did not get frosted, but somehow look worse than yours. They are mostly defoliated. The cool weather came on slowly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Bougs are slowly dropping their leaves but putting out flowers. Go figure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They do not seem to know what winter is. Canna do the same.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In researching an article I wrote about bougs I read even times of light and dark makes them flower.. after observation I disagree with this theory as they bloom all summer here?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They seem to bloom whenever they want to, regardless of season. Mine seemed to bloom a bit less while growing the most during late spring and early summer, but then bloomed more for late summer and autumn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same here. The theory is because they are native near the equator the even day night makes them flower 🌺
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, but it seems to me that, perhaps because they are confused by seasons, they bloom when they can, which is when they are not growing much, and they grow mostly during warm weather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds good 👍
LikeLiked by 1 person
We certainly live in exciting times! Sorry for your losses but your survivors look good. Also loving the pink slime mould. Happy New Year to you and yours, here’s hoping for a good one x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I could deal with some warmer excitement! I thought the pink slime mold was cool as well – pink snow mold is way better than dog vomit fungus. Happy New Year to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good to hear the damage was slight, and for as rapidly as it comes it seems your garden also recovers very quickly so that’s a plus. 84F can warm you up a bunch faster than just going up to 45F 🙂
Unless it’s a real freeze. I remember years of looking at dead mangrove trunks along the coast after a real cold winter snap.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, so far so good here. I think more damage may become evident. You must have been down here in 2010? Happy New Year!
LikeLike
That must have been a shock for your garden. Glad not more damage was done and it warmed up again quickly. Love the name of your tomatoes – Lost Marbles. Poor Fiona. Hope she isn’t too traumatized. I am also wary of Rottweilers as they are often trained to be guard dogs. Wishing you a very Happy New Year Amelia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cathy. Happy New Year to you. I am looking forward to trying Lost Marbles. Fiona is taking this in stride and in her usual sunny state.
LikeLiked by 1 person