It’s been quite a while since we’ve had the sort of temperatures we’ve had the last couple of weeks. I’ve lived in New Orleans for 48 years, and I can only recall two or three times when we’ve had multiple nights below freezing as well as snow.
I covered a few plants in my garden, and put my potted plants in my shed, but I’m not optimistic about some of them. My curry tree, which is really more a shrub, did not do well during the first freeze we had and while I’ve covered it again, I think it’s unlikely to survive. That’s a shame, because it’s not a common plant, and I don’t know where I’ll find another, but for the most part, I’m optimistic about my garden going forward.
I’ve never had a great deal of luck with things like peas and pole beans, and until recently I didn’t have a lot of room for crops like that. I never seem to plant enough arugula, either. I’ve been saving seeds from various chile peppers I’ve bought over the last year or so, including one variety that has the shape and thickness of a bell, but the heat of a serrano and is more floral than either.
I suspect that the longer I garden, the more I’ll learn about what I can grow and what I can’t. I’m still hit or miss with tomatoes, for example, though a few of the “grape” varieties have self-seeded and have done pretty well. I’ve had good results with cucumbers, but I may be the only person to fail at growing zucchini.
The frost has also killed a bunch of plants that we inherited when we bought this house; mainly canna lilies and elephant ears, but those will come back. The ginger and galangal I’d planted may not make it, but I can always plant ginger from roots that sprout before I can cook with them.
I hope your gardens have weathered the freeze, and if you have any advice as to what you’ve grown successfully and how you did it, I’d be grateful.
