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My container garden didn't fare well this summer. In late May we were away for 15 days and then the insufferable heat began.

I have a few flowers left in my containers but most are finished. My tomatoes are still there but the horn worms did a job on the plants. The few tomatoes I have are beginning to turn red.

Clean up begins. I guess I will remove the top third of the soil in the containers and in the spring I will add new materials. Is this the prescribed method?

When my mother-in-law passed away, we brought a container of volunteer columbines back to our place. I hope to transplant some of them, and then I'll leave some in the container.

Winter is here and I have cut the plants down to the soil. Even though we had had some really hard freezes here, my broccoli plants keep coming back but I am sure they will not produce any crowns. My attention is now on keeping my Christmas Amaryllis and poinsettias looking good.

Hello Angie and Everybody.

Oh my! I said I was back last May and then I promptly disappeared again. Life has been interesting to say the least and I realise that I'm not as smart at dealing with nonsense as I would like to be - still, everything's a learning curve not so?

Anyway - back to your tomatoes and hornworms Angie - so sorry to hear about this pest as it really is pervasive.

I am going to write an article on the subject very soon as the pupae winter over and re-emerge in spring ... so anyone else (particularly in the northern hemisphere) who had this problem should be on the look out at the change of season coming up.

Here is to you and your containers Angie, hope you are all wintering well!

Cheers

Hi Connie and Everyone,

How are the Columbines doing? Are you containers still okay even though it is winter? Did those you transplanted into the garden take?

Sorry to read of your family bereavement and hope that things will straighten out sooner than later.

Hope all is well in the land of Oz too!

Cheers for the nonce

Hello Angie,

How are you doing with your amaryllis and poinsettias?

Have you mulched your Christmas tree or did you have one that you planted out into the garden again?

Say hi when you can - cheers

Lestie, the poinsettias (I have 3 soon to be 4) are doing well although they are beginning to drop their leaves. I moved them to a larger window area in hopes to provide more light. I'll nurse them along all winter and plant them outside in the summer.

I planted some broccoli late in the season and even though we have had freezing temperatures, the plants have perked up. There are even new leaves on the plants. Some warm weather, I may get some broccoli. It's be a miracle.

Everything is frozen. We had temperatures below freezing. Wow.