Re: unseasonable cold front

Just a guess here Ceres...
Established shrubs have reserves. I believe they'll resprout from dormant buds. Additionally, there are various degrees of hardiness. Just as a shrub can have different zone ratings for bud hardiness and plant hardiness, it can also have a root hardiness rating. The newer Caryopteris varieties exemplify this. Listed as hardy to Zone 5, many gardeners will find them listed as only hardy to 6 or 7, but the Zone 5 hardiness is based on their roots and a full description will indicate that they should be grown as a perennial in the northernmost ranges.
I know this won't hold true for all shrubs - I lost a 7 yr old lilac last year, dead as a doornail. But that was after a long, hard winter. This cold front, while severe, is relatively short-lived, and a warm up is on the way. I don't think it had enough time to freeze deep into the soil.
I don't pretend to know as much as you or most of the others on this list about such things, I just have a lot of faith in plants' will to live. A little knowledge, a little logic, and a bit of luck and hope, just give me the feeling that, though you may lose a few things to this fluke, I doubt it'll be complete devastation. Rejoice in the ones that do make it. 

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5
----- Original Message ----- From: <Cersgarden@aol.com> 
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 8:26 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] unseasonable cold front



In a message dated 4/6/07 6:33:47 PM, kmrsy@comcast.net writes:



Tree and herbaceous peonies look good.
Kitty, I chkd my tree peonies again this afternoon. The foliage which had not unfurled is just limp. What do you think, will it sprout new foliage or maybe it will not survive. The largest one is a purple and I have had it more than 10 yrs. The yellow one is smaller but I have had it more than 5 yrs. 
I so hate to lose them.   Fortunately we have had high winds the past few
days.
I did cut some hyacinths this afternoon. They were limp & lying on the ground but perked up when I placed them in water and the sweet scent is still 
there.
    Ceres


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