Where are you in Mass?

We didn't get that kind of weather at all. I still have all my orchids outside (they do their summer vacation on my terrace), meyer lemon, tropical jasmine, loads of tender annual veggies and none have suffered. I still have lots of plants to get in the ground and don't think there will be an issue looking at the forecast. Perhaps you have a unique micro-climate which gets a bit colder?

Same thing happened up here in Maine (zn 5) Mikerno. Not a mention of frost for Central or Southern Maine on the news stations. Yes, warnings for far Northern Maine. We were totally taken by surprise by how low the temps got. Only lost one pepper plant. Everything else made it.

How the heck can you stil have orchids outside???? I brought them in days ago. You must have hardy I hardy ones. What kind?

Some areas did escape being a good 10 degrees warmer. I I'ive in the merrimack Valley do it gets extra cold. I hate it.

Sorry to everyone else that got caught off guard. I hear you.

Digger. I wish that upon mine in about two weeks. Lol. The sun drops behind the tree line slowing cold to last for hours and. Everything yellows anyways.

My orchids are all good to about 50F...even Catts can withstand 40F in small doses. I have a bunch: Catts, Dens, Oncs, Phals (like 20 of them! I keep inheriting them from a florist-friend), Brassias, Coels, Phaphs, Phrags, a Vasco, a Milt, a Neo and a few Trader Joe NOIDs. They're outside right now enjoying the rain! I'll keep them outside until lows are consistently below 50F.

Funny. I have a those plus more. Love the al. Thats good to know. Thanks! I did put them all out at last night for today's rain. Seems they loved it. They got tired of the tap water and lack of rain this summer. Sorry. Hard to type using my cell. Do you grow them all in your house? Or greenhouse?

We have a sunroom that's attached to the house with it's own heater and I run a humidifier in there in the winter. I also keep several in our master bath as it has skylights and lots of humidity.

Sunroom

Bathroom

My goodness. Absolutely beautiful. I'll bet sometimes you miss them in there. Green always looks good too. Nice spots

grumble, grumble, grumble. I was furious when I saw the temperature early in the morning. Now I can't even remember what it was but I went out in the dark with a flashlight checking to see how bad it was. We hadn't closed up the high tunnel so tomatoes in the middle aisle and peppers were ok. Basil is gone. Outside tomatoes got hit. We had covered the new crop of bush beans and while they were touched, they're ok. This was Sat night a week ago. I'm just north of Concord NH but in a low lying area. Basil next to the house survived and looks ok. Sunpatiens are dead but some other annuals are hardier. I have some perennial mums that haven't even bloomed yet and that seems really late. A few tall phlox are still blooming as well as snap dragons. Need to check the petunias by the barn. The ones by the porch died from the heavy rain. Not a good time for me to be doing road trips.

Man, that would of bothered me too Defrost...Yes, a fitting name! It is awful when you don't have advance warning..I woke up at 4 a.m. and was too tired to bring everything in..

Now, I wonder if we are going to get one tonight?? Now word of the thirties, in fact they are saying forties for my area, and yet it is only 50 degrees today with clear skies...I always thought the temp drops by 20 degrees at night..I am getting the feeling many are going to get a killing one tonight by surprise again((

breezy is good but if the air gets still this evening, that's a danger sign. I think it was supposed to get colder tonight in our area. I just brought in sweet red peppers, tomatoes, a bit of basil, etc. Weather says 37 for Monday morning in our area but we could be much colder due to elevation. Looks like Thurs night will be colder and I'll be away. I'll probably pick rest of green peppers today or tomorrow.

I had frost on my windshield this morning but it didn't affect the plants. It was only supposed to get to about 40 last night here, and they are saying about the same thing tonight, so I covered the basil and peppers and harvested several squash and tomatoes. I think I'll be doing some work this week freezing various crops for the winter. We were spoiled last year, not getting a killing frost here until some time in the middle of October.

NHBabs, I'm so jealous for those extra degrees. It's 33 in the high tunnel right now at 5:30am so will drop another degree or two when the sun comes up. We're in a bit of a valley with everything sloping down to us except the west which has a steep drop to about the same elevation as the Blackwater River. I know where we used to live just 3 miles away surrounded by trees I would get about two weeks extra time before frost after it hit my mother-in-law's. Oh well, there's Agribon over the bush beans but no hoops. The tops of the plants are browned but I think the beans are ok. Really pleased that paste tomatoes and peppers in the high tunnel are still ok. I picked the red peppers but not all the green ones including jalapeno and poblano but mostly sweet.

OK, misery really does love company. My garden in north central CT was horrible this year, too, especially my roses. I guess I'll have to wait to see if I lost any perennials in the drought.

We had a frost last night, did in what was left of my veggie garden, the rest of the garden had been cut back all ready, I still have 2 Cymbidium orchids sitting on my front porch the will be find for a few more days as long as it doesn't snow.

No frost last night here in coastal Plymouth, but tonight has another chance. Then it's supposed to warm up for a while.

NWS says

..............................................................................................................................................
...THE GROWING SEASON HAS ENDED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND EXCEPT ALONG IMMEDIATE COASTAL AREAS...

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
903 AM EDT SUN OCT 18 2015

WIDESPREAD BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES OCCURRED THIS MORNING ACROSS
MUCH OF THE REGION...WITH MANY LOCATIONS FALLING INTO THE 20S. ONLY
AREAS ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST AND NARRAGANSETT BAY ESCAPED A HARD
FREEZE. AS A RESULT...THE GROWING SEASON HAS ENDED ACROSS MUCH OF
THE REGION AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL NO LONGER ISSUE
FROST AND FREEZE HEADLINES FOR THESE ZONES THIS YEAR.

..............................................................................................................................................

We have another Freeze Warning for tonight so officially the growing season is continuing here.

All of my houseplants are safely inside.

Claire

I brought in frost-sensitive potted plants on Friday night. It was in the 40's by early Saturday morning, but last night it got to 25F and since it was 36 at 5 this afternoon, I imagine that it will get cold again tonight. I have cleaned out a bunch of the dead plants from the veggie garden, but still have perennials and shrubs to plant. I am a serious procrastinator, not helped by this summer's hot, dry weather, being out of town for several weeks in August and September, and the extra time involved in installing vole cages on many things I plant.

We also lost much of the bright red maple foliage due to the winds yesterday and today that pushed in the colder temperatures. We still have the oaks and beeches which are just starting to color up, and I imagine that some of the sugar maples may have retained some of their foliage, though we only have one here.

only 17 here. Even without wind, our maple shade tree is dropping leaves almost like a snow storm. Sugar maple by the house still shows a lot of green. I thought the high tunnel was keeping things very warm since the thermometer said 55 but my husband suspected the batteries in the sending unit were dead. Sure enough. Don't even dare look inside until tomorrow. To many meetings and errands today.

This was our second night of frost here in south/central Vermont. Fortunately I brought everything in about a week ago when they predicted a frost that never came... until now. Now I have a lot of clean up work, emptying pots of annual flowers, bringing in garden critters/statues and solar lights, and digging up the veggie patch and the one annual flower bed.

I still have garlic to plant and bought about 4 bags of spring bulbs from Ocean State Job Lots with a coupon. Not a lot of daffodils/narcissus left in the concord nh store. Overcast today but have to get out there sometime.

Just a hint of frost here in Plymouth. The temperature dipped below 32 yesterday morning, enough to put a film of ice on the elevated birdbaths, but no apparent damage to vegetation. It's warmed up again (relatively) and I'm going to dig out a volunteer miscanthus today and transplant it. There's no freezing temperatures in the forecast for the next ten days so I think the growing season is still on in my immediate neighborhood even though NWS has given up on the region.

No sign yet of the bulbs from Brent and Becky's Bulbs, and the foliage is still green on the little trees I want to transplant when they're dormant.

I'm fine with winter staying in the distant future.

Claire

Here along the CT coast, all my annuals are dead. We spent the morning pulling them out along with the deck plants... flowers, tomatoes and Swiss Chard. The only thing still alive on our deck is the Swiss Chard, which I harvested a few days ago. I'll let the pots keep going and see what happens. We brought in all the orchids last weekend.

Truthfully, I'm happy to put our gardens "to bed" for the season so we can spend more time on the holidays, get-togethers with friends & family and making stews and soups again! The only thing I regret (just a tiny bit) is that I never bought bulbs this season. Ah, well!

molie,not wishing to suggest unwanted work for you it is absolutely not too late to either order or plant bulbs. I've planted bulbs here in zone 6 and in zone 5 many years ago while it was snowing in mid November. Not pleasant, but it got done and they bloomed. The supplies of some bulbs on line may be low, but they may also be heading towards sales. However, I prefer not freezing to paying a bit less.

Marie... love that you've also planted in the cold. I actually planted daffodils once during a early December when it was very warm, and they came up, too. Of course, that was at my first house... when I was younger!

I have a picture of myself, as a very young woman, in my husband's sheepskin coat with a box of bulbs in the foreground. I was smiling and It was daylight. I can't tell you how many other times we planted by flashlight with the snow flying. UNless a surprise storm comes in, I have no intention of repeating that foolishness. The bulbs arrived today so I hope I can plant while it ) is still in the 60's. But it takes me three times longer to dig anything, so even a steady pace might leave me planting in dim November.