Winter Garden Winners And Losers

Last year was bad. This year it's worse.

My little backyard paradise looks as though it was blasted by aliens. Aliens who really, really hate tropical plants.

Clearly, cold weather is going to continue to take a tragic toll on my garden if I don't make some changes. So it's time to stop pouting and start pulling some lessons out of the winter wreckage.

Last year at this time, we asked local experts to give us their picks for which plants have the best shot at making it through a frost or freeze. They chose Indian hawthorn, liriope, viburnum, crape myrtle, ligustrum and, of course, potted plants you can bring inside.

I decided to make a list of my own this year, so I'll remember the heroes of 2009 every time I go to the nursery. I'm hoping you'll do the same thing, and take a moment to share what made it and what didn't in your garden. Or, even better, let me know of any special tricks that helped you keep tender plants from tanking.

You can e-mail your tips to me at baylife@tampatrib.com; please put "Kim Plants" in the subject line. Or you can leave comments on our TBO.com blog, The Dirt.

Arecas: Hmmm. The well-established giant areca near the house - which I thought would be safe - turned dark brown on top, but the new arecas farther out in the yard have almost no damage. Next time: Arecas are worth the worry and the little bit of trimming required after a cold front. I'm sticking with plans to add more.

Avocado: My tiny tree almost died from lack of water in the summer, and now it's toasted on top. It looks like it will pull through, though. From what I've read about avocados, I'm lucky. Next time: I doubt I'll replace mine if it doesn't make it.

Banana: Both of my hybrid bananas are in spots I thought would be protected. Still, I covered them with sheets. One looks OK, the other may not pull through. Next time: Both bananas are in pots, so I'll drag them inside even if it wrecks me.

Bird of paradise: No cover and no damage. Next time: I'll definitely buy more of these beauties.

Blue daze: At the last minute, I draped old pillow cases over some of them. The covered plants came out without a bit of brown. Those left bare will recover, but they look rough right now. Next time: I'll cover all of them.

Citrus trees: No cover and no damage to the lemon, lime and orange trees scattered throughout the yard. Next time: Who knew they'd be so tough? I hope to add more citrus this year.

Jatropha: These took a hit last winter and it was a while before they came back; they look even worse this year. Next time: When jatrophas look good, they look very, very good. But I won't plant any more.

Lobelia: I put these in a shallow container with a bright-orange canna. The canna collapsed in the cold, but the lobelias are happier than ever. Next time: Lobelia likes cool temperatures; it's a winner for winter color.

Mandevilla: I covered all three mandevillas, and despite some serious damage, I think they'll survive. It's definitely worth waiting for a comeback. Next time: Oh, yeah, I'll grow mandevillas even if I have to treat them like annuals.

Plumbago: Oh, the perfect plumbago! I have seven and only one is showing problems from the cold. And all of them are still blooming like crazy! Next time: I'm considering replacing some fried porterweed with plumbagos; they are the "sure thing" in my garden.

Powder puff: The Web site www.floridagardener.com warns that this subtropical can be killed to the ground by a freeze, but mine seems to have come through without so much as a brown leaf. I didn't remember to cover it, but it is in a protected spot, so maybe that helped. Next time: I will never forget my pretty powder puff again!

Split-leaf philodendron: Freeze? What freeze? Not a spot of brown on old or new plants, none of which were covered. Next time: My husband wants to put this in every corner of the yard. It's that great.

Tibouchina: This delicate purple-flowered tree was once the pride of my garden, but my love is fading fast. It never really came back after last winter's cold snap, and it looks worse this year. Next time: I'm going to trim this baby waaaay back and see what happens. If it doesn't recover quickly, though, it's out.