While unseasonably cool temperatures made it necessary to heed the three “P” warning to protect plants, pets and pipes early this year, it’s not too late to add color to winter landscapes or grow certain vegetables.

Cool color

Debbie Smith of Greengate Garden Center said cold hardy annuals like pansies, violas, snapdragons, petunias and ornamental kale and cabbage are popular now. Stephen Abrahams listed camellias and sasanquas as two of the flowering shrubs that people are asking for at Prien Pines. “This year we have camellias that we’ve never had before. Some of these are grafted on sasanqua root stock which adds vigor to the plant,” he said. Prien Pines also has camellia favorites like Alba Plena, Blood of China and Cherries Jubilee.

Not too late for veggies

LSUAgCenter vegetable specialist Kiki Fontenot said that just about any time of the year is good for planting vegetables in Southwest Louisiana’s temperate climate. She recommended beets, spinach, mustard green and kale. The CalHort Newsletter from Robert Turley, LSU AgCenter Extenstion Horticulturist advises to plan only onions and shallots in December and to hold off until January for other crops.

Tending roses now

Julie Engert, a consulting rosarian and a member of the SWLA Rose Society said that she encourages people to mulch with pine straw this time of year. “Leaves are good, but you may end up with a lot of little oak trees in the spring,” she cautioned. The main thing, according to Engert, is not to take the seed pods away. Do get rid of diseased petals. “If people would like to have roses in their landscape, this is the time of the year to prepare the soil,” she said. Engert described good soil as soil with organic matter, that has been balanced with an organic fertilizer and tilled. Don’t prune roses until February.

Protect plants

Margo Racca moves her plants into a greenhouse for the winter. Her husband built the 32 x 32 structure with the concrete floor, 30/70 shade cloth roof and gas Modine heater to help her make the transition when they moved from their home in Lafayette to Iowa. It’s stuffed full of orchids, bromeliads and other plants including species that she’s brought back from trips to Belize and Honduras.

Sherry Perkins created a makeshift hothouse using items on hand. She wrapped a 10 x 10 dog pen with heavy weight plastic, stapling it periodically with 1” x 6” slats and using bricks at the bottom of the perimeter. The roof is galvalume. She hung a plant light, brought 30 or so pot plants inside and used hay on the ground and on the top of the pots of some of the plants. It is important to monitor this type of plant environment since it can quickly grow too hot, according to Perkins. Smith said that Greengate sells a frost blanket, which is an insulating cloth that can help protect some plants. “But nothing is guaranteed to help plants survive cold temperatures,” she explained. Old sheets and other fabric is recommended as opposed to plastic draping which can cause leaves to freeze, Smith said.

Smith advised that a well-watered plant that’s in the ground or in the pot has a better chance of surviving and this is best achieved by watering as much as a couple of days or several hours ahead of a forecasted cold front.Here’s one way to add color to your landscape this year that doesn’t require a green thumb: A bottle tree. (Rita LeBleu / American Press)