deb, haven't you gotten a hard freeze yet?

Seeing new growth this time of year is disconcerting -- logically I know the plants will be fine, but I still can't help but feel a bit worried for them, you know?

I need to be out there cutting things back for winter but with 70F forecast this weekend they'll just start growing back, lol.

I just KNOW it's going to go from 70s to the 30s in the blink of an eye and I'll be wishing I had done it anyway.

Super strange weather this year.

hosta_ maker, no, we have not received a hard frost where I am located. Temps have dipped to 30-32 a couple nights, but the plants in the back yard are protected from winds because of where the house is and the fencing around the yard. The back yard also receives alot of sun now that the big tree is down. And, the large amount of wood decking I think heats the air close to the ground. A couple of hostas in back shot up new leaves after being cut back last month.

mxk3, I agree that it is disconcerting—— it shows how climate change is affecting our gardens.

cearbhaill, yes we are having very strange weather this year! There’s a big front coming through the country that is going to bring rain, storms, snow in areas and possible flooding in vulnerable areas……. 😱

debra

Heucheras and hellebores are considered evergreen perennials - they should hold their foliage all winter in all but the coldest zones. Here, roses will bloom all through winter unless we get several days of below freezing weather. And that does not happen all that often.

I’m in z5 NY and we’ve only had light and spotty frosts. This week has been above normal temps and I have some trollius and foxglove blooming right now!

A disjointed fall here in MN. Got off to a good start, but then down to the low 20's which smoked a lot of foliage that hadn't started changing. What didn't get burned and continued to turn fall colors since then has been stunning and long lasting.

Not unusual for the auriculas to throw a few unseasonal blooms. Always welcome at any time, but there is something quite poignant and gallant about the pretty primrose flowers, nodding modestly, in a sea of tropicalesque salvias.

Gardengal, I did not realize Heucheras and Hellebores were considered evergreen. They certainly act like it! That Caramel Heuchera has not changed colors in many years. It seems to always look good.

debra

@ oursteelers 8B PNW, I've gardened here all my life and in a number of gardens in the greater Seattle area but I've never experienced any significant ground freeze!! Maybe the top inch or so after a prolonged Arctic blast but it thaws rapidly once temps are above freezing. And the same conditions will stop roses blooming, otherwise I have to manually de-leaf them to force dormancy. And all my heucheras are permanently evergreen as well :-)

@ djacob Z5b SE WI, there are lots of 'evergreen' perennials.....at least those that remain evergreen in milder zones. I can't speculate on how many would perform in the same manner in your zone, however. I fear not too many :-)

Here in MN I find Heucheras are more or less evergreen as long as they are covered by snow during the coldest part of winter. Otherwise the leaves burn off, but grow back quickly in the spring. Aslo, not unusual for perennials that like cool temps to grow well into late fall. Bergenias are probably some of the toughest with the foliage surviving even if not under snow.