Christmas Cactus Blooms

 For the first time ever, we have a Christmas Cactus blooming.  We got the plant as a cutting a long time ago and for some reason it decided to bloom this year.  We've put it outside every year and brought it in before the first freeze and this year we were rewarded with some remarkable red flowers.

First Hard Freeze

 Just a couple of days after moving all the plants into the greenhouse, we had our first hard freeze of the season.  The beautiful Elephant Ears out front show how it only takes one night below freezing to make the leaves droop, sag and turn brown.  Pretty soon they will collapse to the ground and I'll cut them off.  Meanwhile the Croton got too large to come into the house this winter so it is banished to the unheated garage.  The garage can get below freezing if it is really cold so I suspect it won't survive but we won't count the survival instinct out until it is over.  Now I just have to remember to water it weekly.

Plants in the Greenhouses

 With winter approaching, it is time to move the plants into the greenhouses.  With the warmer November, we are about 2 weeks later than usual so the plants got some extra time to soak up sun and rain before the move.  The larger plants are in the large greenhouse where we hope they will survive.  Last winter was very cold and we lost a number of plants.  The pond plants and smaller plants are in the greenhouse on the deck next to the chimney.  Being sandwiched in the brick helps keep this greenhouse a little warmer.