What to plant as cold weather approaches

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

One of the advantages of living in Florida is you can garden all year long. If you carefully select plants that bloom during different seasons, your garden will always be colorful.

Even with cooler temperatures upon us, you can still add flowering plants to your winter garden, such as petunias, pansies, snapdragons, calendula, dianthus and verbena.

For the vegetable garden, plant carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions, radishes and beets; cool weather herbs include parsley, garlic, fennel, thyme and coriander.

We have been fortunate not to have any frost yet, but be sure you have frost cloth ready to cover those sensitive plants when the threat is predicted. Mulching with pine straw will protect the roots of plants so even if the top growth is damaged, if the roots are healthy, the plant may recover.

One way to reduce damage is to ensure the soil is adequately moist. Water generously a few days before a cold spell. Moisture from the soil evaporates, releasing ambient heat. However, when the temperatures drop, turn off your automatic irrigation.

If you were given an amaryllis for the holiday and it is finished blooming, you can cut the flower stalk to within two inches of the bulb leaving the foliage, and plant it in the garden where it gets morning sun and some afternoon shade. Don’t plant it too deep — be sure the upper shoulders and the neck of the bulb are exposed above the soil. Other bulbs to plant now are calla lilies, crocosmia and rain lilies for spring blossoms.

Happy New Year!