As temperatures have plunged into the 20s (or lower) and we’ve bundled up and watched the snow fall from our heated indoor perches, garden plants are left to fend for themselves day and night under blankets of ice and snow and amid desiccating winter winds. As the soil begins to freeze up and water uptake becomes more difficult for roots and as the dry, cold air above ground begins to sap moisture from plants, rhodies and many other plants take precautions to conserve their moisture.
Briefly, plants take up moisture in root systems and transport the water upward through roots, trunks, branches, stems and leaves. And, through the underside of leaves, water is released through leaf stomata. As water is released through the stomata, more water is drawn upward toward that same stomata. (The entire process is more complicated than that, but you get the basic idea, right?)
When a plant is faced with environmental stresses that may cause it to release more water than it can take up, which would lead to dieback in the plant, the plant will close its stomata and essentially “shut down the factory” living on reserves until the weather either warms (or cools) to a friendly temperature. Then, the leaves unroll (or in hot weather they may “unwilt”), the stomata open and the factory process of transporting water and photosynthesizing resumes.
Rhodie Blooms & New Leaves in May
So, don’t worry about those curled up, frozen-looking rhodie leaves. They should be just fine. You may see some frost burn later, but odds are the plant is doing what it needs to do to take care of itself while the weather outside is frightful. By spring, new leaves and beautiful blooms will unfurl.
(Oh, and in case the teaser on hot weather and wilted leaves left you wondering…a plant that will commonly “wilt” its own leaves on a hot days, despite sufficient soil moisture is the lovely hydrangea. As soon as the sun sets and the temperatures cool down, they perk right up again. Ah, to have a hot sunny day right now, right?)
Have any other garden concerns during this cold season? Please write in, and we’ll do our best to help you help your garden during this unusual Pacific Northwest cold snap.
Earlier this year, I had the special opportunity to meet Nori Burnett and get a personal tour of her moss garden in Richmond, Virginia. Over 30 years ago she began the process of incorporating moss into her garden in place of lawn. She had tried to establish lawns, but in her woodland setting it was a losing battle. Taking an “if you can’t beat’m then join’m attitude” she began researching the types of moss in her garden (no small task) and cultivating its growth to create vast swaths of rolling green.
These photos were taken at the end of winter. She shared printed photos and magazine photos of the garden (yes, the garden is somewhat famous!) throughout the year, and take my word for it, the space is stunning. Nori will be the first one to admit that moss doesn’t make a great “lawn” for dogs and children, but in a more adult-oriented space with lots of shade, it makes sense! The birds and squirrels may peck up some patches, but they’re easy to refill. The look of the moss changes throughout the year and provides a quiet, inviting, soft space to tread upon.
This winter I’m acutely aware of plants that are providing winter interest through berries, blooms, fragrance, colorful foliage and interesting texture. Many clients keep talking about how boring their gardens are when everything is “dead”. I remind them that most isn’t truly dead but instead is growing actively underground. This provides them some relief that they didn’t kill their garden. 
But, what provides the biggest thrill to them (and to me) is pointing out the opportunities to make sure their garden is interesting even when other gardens appear dead.
As I walked from my driveway into my back door, I received a two-fold reward for my efforts in building winter interest into my garden.
