Rough Winter Wiped Out Tender Perennials

Yes, it was a rough winter. We’re grateful that it’s history.

A friend said he’s had some late comers this spring, meaning that some plants stayed dormant from the cold of winter much longer than typical. He said to wait for a while before counting out the tender perennials.

I figure that the frost-free dates for our areas is a good marker of when to give up the ghost on late-comers.

It’s the middle of May and since they didn’t yet sprout I crossed off the following plants that did not ‘come back to life’ this year:

  • Rosemary
  • French Tarragon
  • Russian Tarragon
  • Hens and Chicks
  • Butterfly Bush
  • Wild Ginger
  • Grape Spiderwort

The wild ginger and spiderwort were a surprise on this list as they are natives that can withstand our winters and these particular plants did so for a half-dozen years or more. Maybe they were just old?

Already picked up rosemary and tarragon plants at a local greenhouse. The others will be missed but their demise opened a few spots in the gardens where we can plant something new.

This is the time that we’ve been looking forward to for months. Let’s get out there and plant something!