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Winter protection for perennials
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Give them a warm overcoat
What is 'hardy'?
In autumn you are best to leave the border plants in peace. Especially when they are covered in a thin layer of frost they still look lovely in the winter months. Their dead stalks also provide some protection from the cold. Hardy plants are much weaker if they are cut back before winter and the dead leaves are cleared from around them. They are also more vulnerable if they don't get the chance to prepare for winter. Therefore it is important to stop fertilising on time. The plants will otherwise grow on for too long and don't have enough time to toughen up for winter. Most perennials are so resilient they can withstand even a very harsh winter. These plants are classed as 'hardy'. So don't fret when the foliage of your favourite Hosta dies back or even disappears all together. Under the soil the roots of the plant have started their resting period but have certainly not died. In spring the plant will wake up again and the first leaf tips will pop up from the ground in March or April.
Half-hardy
Plants that can stand a little bit of frost are referred to in the literature as half-hardy. Some examples of half-hardy plants are Lavatera, Ceaothus, African lily (Agapanthus), Fig, Passionflower and young Pampas grass. Protect these plants from frost by covering them with fallen leaves, which you can collect, dry and store in baskets, in your shed or under some other cover. Before the first frost, cover the base of your half-hardy plants under a layer of these leaves, or straw if available. Use chicken wire, held in place by twigs or branches, to prevent the wind from blowing this protective material away, and back all over your garden.
Evergreens
Most evergreens are hardy. There are however many plants that suffer damage from especially a sharp east wind, like rosemary, thyme and hebe. Push some fir tree branches criss cross into the ground so that they provide some shelter from the chill wind. Wrap the non-deciduous (often expensive) Camellia up in reed matting in freezing weather. Freezing temperatures together with a stiff wind often proves fatal to plants that remain above ground during the winter. In fact they dry out. You would expect rock plants to be hardy as their natural habitat is high up in the mountains. But don't forget that there they would be protected by a thick layer of snow during the winter. The biggest threat to these plants is 'bare frost'.
Terracotta forcers have no bottom and sometimes have a lid. They are used on rhubarb, sea kale and celery. You can keep an eye on their development through the top. Due to the lack of light the stalks and leaves turn pale. These forcers are perfect as protection for deciduous plants in heavy frosts.
Patio and balcony in winter
Potted plants are more vulnerable than plants that grow in the garden. This makes sense, as a rootball is better protected by your garden soil than by the thin skin of the pot. Potted Box is a good example. Planted in the garden, Box is absolutely hardy. However, when potted, Box does need some protection during very cold spells. A temporary stay in the shed is one solution, but you can also wrap the pot in bubble wrap and place it where it will have some shelter from East winds. Place potted perennials right up close to each other and wrap them in mats. Possibly the worse thing which can happen to your pots is for soil to become waterlogged and then frozen. This would certainly kill the roots of any plants.
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