GOODBYE TO THE PORCH FERNS
We said goodbye night-before-last to all the ferns on our porches. It’s always a bit of a sad moment for me when that first frost comes along and zaps them. I have them hanging along the back porch, in a big wicker plant stand, and in two wooden stands on either side of the front door.
Wish I had a way to keep them through the winter, but we don’t have a greenhouse. I brought in all the other porch plants and have them on baker racks by a couple of big sunny windows. But the ferns are just too big to bring inside.
I understand and sympathize about the porch ferns. The last few years, I moved mine inside over winter and hung them in the sunroom. They brightened it up, but goodness, it was a lot of work to pull them down each week or so to give them a good drink. The leaves fell a lot, too. When it’s outside that doesn’t matter so much. It’s not great when it’s near your casual eating spot!
Last winter we also used our dining room as a greenhouse for overwintering the plants. We figured we weren’t having guests because of CoVid, so I might as well make use of the space. Had grow lights every where. Well, the plants made it, but it was a lot of effort.
This year, I need to have that room back because family will come for Christmas, so my over-wintered plants have to be much fewer than last year. Only the strongest most favorite plants need to apply. One surprise that worked for me last year was a heliotrope. Supposedly an annual here but some places a perennial. Well, that little guy bloomed for quite a while, maybe into December last year, and then in the spring when I thought it was only going to give me green leaves, it produced several blossoms again! So I brought her in to try again this year.
I have many others, but too many to name. All the small fairy gardens will come back indoors. They keep me cheered up in the dead of winter.
On a side note, I still am wondering about the small shallots that I planted late in the Spring. Does anyone have advice about those bulbs? Only one is large enough to use. The others are around the size of a single garlic clove. Do I need to remove them from the soil? (They are in a raised container about 2’ x 3’). Or do I leave them all winter in that container? Suggestions or advice is welcome.