Yesterday, I went through photos of the garden from years past. It was punishing. Climate change has done a number on the backyard. Tropicals that were gorgeous a few years back are now struggling, or gone. I'm rethinking what I continue to fuss over. The oaks managed to snake their way into nearly every pot, in spite of screening over the drainage holes. We now have too much shade to grow some of the tropicals I love.

So what to do? Well, today we're putting up another hoop across the back of the house for the pots that I couldn't cram into the other hoop house along the fence line. I guess I'll just think about getting rid of a few plants when spring gets here.

Amended to . . . we are not putting up anything outside today. It is cold and damp out there!

It's one of those winters (although technically not winter yet, it seems to be here) that go from drizzle to dim and cool to a bit sunny and cold. My lantana bush is blooming away, for whatever reason, I don't know. I wonder sometimes...is it just climate change that's doing wacky things to plants...or is fracking doing something else unknown also? What price are we paying, and for what?

"....is it just climate change that's doing wacky things to plants...or is fracking doing something else unknown also? What price are we paying, and for what?"

I don't know, Linda, but the lack of water and the intense heat certainly has changed the landscape of Austin. Everyone has a different opinion of why.

Daughter came over yesterday morning and helped her dad put up the hoop off the gameroom. I dragged pots over, and helped spread the plastic along the roof overhang. It's up and now I get to fill it up. l have to resist the urge to check out Lowes for anymore plants!

Sandi, I learned long ago to get my potted plants off the ground. I literally grow hundreds of tropical plants under large oaks and cedar trees. I build platforms out of 2x2" and 2x4" treated pine. The platforms are anywhere from 18"W x 24"L to 24"W x 36"L. I simply cut 2-3 pieces of 2x2 (depends on how long the platform is) the width of the platform. Those 2x2's will become the "feet" that rest on the ground. The 2x4's are the platform. Thus, the platform will hold plants approximately 3.5" above the ground. That stops all tree-root invasion.

That's a great idea! I may have to try that with some of my mid size pots, but I'm not sure it would work with the really big ones.
Now I just have to plan and plot how to get DH to do this project. He just finished putting up the temporary hoop houses. I also filled his garage with pots. Every winter I say this is the last year for this!

The platform is simply sized to the pot(s). I might have a dozen or more, 4" pots on a single platform or a single, huge 28" diameter pot (like my 25+ year old fiddle leaf ficus is in) on a 24" x 24" platform. The platform can be as small or as large as you wish. Someone handy with a skill saw can even make the platform round to fit the base of a particular pot. Why don't you think this concept would not work with large pots?

Because I'd be the one to lift them onto the platform.

It should stop root invasion in both directions, Ken! Yes, I've gotten lazy about moving the big old pots and then discovered the plants were rooted in the ground below in the past!

I use a dolly/hand cart to move all my big pots. No lifting involved at all. My back is in bad enough shape already.

Is one of these a dolly?

Yep, the one on the left. Also called a hand-cart.

I would still have 3.5 inches to lift the pots onto the platform. That's a lot of maneuvering for a senior citizen!
And I was kidding about the cart/dolly. They are both used as dollys, but called two wheel carts here. I love the Worx Aerocart. I use it for all garden jobs. DD give it to me for birthday. At first , I didn't read the instructions and only used it for mixing soil.

No, no, no, Sandi. I just place that dolly's lip (where the pot would sit) onto the edge of the wooden platform and slide that sucker onto the platform. Absolutely no lifting is necessary. I am only referring to that dolly on the left side. The one on the right would not do well in this situation.

Okay, I'll try it, but I'm not calling it a dolly. When we were in Hawaii, I was a Red Cross volunteer for the Med-Evac flights. There were patients traveling between the Pacific Rim and the Mainland with a stop for refueling at Hickam AFB. They were not allowed to leave the hanger. Tired and either sick or recovering, they were stressed from a the long flight and we gave them homemade cookies and drinks. At a party one night, my DH mentioned that I was a "doughnut dolly!" He has been paying for that ever since!

We will have a high of 77 on Thursday and 80 on Friday! Crazy weather!

It's okay with me!

Our first freeze will be Saturday. I plan to cover the outside faucets today. Even if it doesn't freeze thus weekend, it's something that needs to be done. All but a few potted plants are in the hoop houses. The roses are blooming like crazy. Still have a few Brugmansias blooming, and the Euryops out front are have been tricked by the warm weather into blooming again.

What's still blooming in your gardens?

We have roses, lantana, paper whites, and the loquat tree still blooming.

Hey, Sandy!

Find yourself a lumber yard with a "cull" pile. They'll either give or sell you (cheap, cheap, cheap) their discarded cedar fence pickets. You're handy with a circular saw (I know this...). Use it to trim off the damaged portions of the pickets (which is why they can't be sold).

Simply construct a small "pallet". Space some 2xs across as feet, and either nail or screw (I use outdoor Deckmates) your sections of cedar fence pickets to the 2xs.

I constructed one of these to lay across some uneven yard space for three raised planters. It has lasted approximately 2 years. Would've lasted longer if I had used only one more 2x. The weight of the planters wasn't supported well where that 2x was missing.

All in all, I'll be making more of these for my patio planters. They look great, too!

Hugs!

Thanks, Linda! You should submit this as an "Idea" for ATP! Those are some gorgeous greens in those pots too!