Of wind and roses
By Raquel
2 comments
Mmmm…I had never thought about microclimates within a garden, which Andrewr brought up, so that is a new concept for me to think about – and it does make sense. Certainly the climate in Houston is not at all like the climate in Dallas or El Paso, so I suppose Texas could be considered a state of various microclimates. Well, maybe eveything is like that!
I think my 3rd floor balcony could be considered a microclimate, because it is very sunny (not knowing how hot it got in Houston when I moved in I demanded a sunny spot for my apartment!) so it gets quite hot, even when the weather is not as warm. Sometimes even I get fooled and have to come running back up to get a sweater because it’s a lot cooler than I thought!
The result is that most plants seem to like it, though. The roses do very well, usually, year round. Others do well most of the year (the geraniums, for example, though they do get scraggly and sickly looking at the height of summer – July and August) but others – even supposedly sun-loving plans like zinnias – just wilt. But to answer David’s question, wind is a problem. In fact we just had a week or so of terrible wind, and my roses and the geraniums were continously knocked over by it…I had quite a few broken branches and bruised leaves, though overall they’re all OK. I’m not sure how to keep my plants safe, though, because I can’t really build a shelter for them on the balcony…I think that management would protest!….Maye the answer will have to be just to move them closer to the stairs, where they would be more sheltered.
I’ll definitely write about the plants in El Salvador in another blog, Lori, and share pictures of my mother’s garden!
25 Mar, 2008
0 likes
More blog posts by Raquel
Previous post: Isn't Central America hot and humid? (Or the difference a hill or two can make) So why....
Next post: My mother's garden
Comments
I think so, Mikec. I think that would qualify as a microclimate. Thanks for your comment!
8 Apr, 2008
Recent posts by Raquel
- The Serendipity of Plants (or seeds that the wind throws down)
11 Oct, 2015
- A clear, blue day....
12 May, 2013
- Re-wind to February-Tulips in Houston
12 May, 2013
- Bloomin' Narcissus...!
16 Feb, 2013
- Paper whites for the first time...
2 Feb, 2013
- The Cats of Old San Juan.
1 Apr, 2012
This is a very interesting topic. I believe that my back garden is a microclimate. My entire back yard/garden is enclosed with a six foot wooden stockade fence which blocks cold icy winds in the winter from blowing across my flower beds. In the summer when there is a breeze my garden stays warmer. It is always much colder in the winter in my front garden. Plants in the front garden suffer more during the winter especially if we don't have a good snow cover. Am I correct in thinking this way ?
25 Mar, 2008