Cold Spells Good For Plants & Citrus

The chill in the air tonight is good for those of us who have gardens & citrus trees as the chill hardens the plants so when the real cold/freezes come, they'll have prepared themselves for survival.  Granted, a freeze into the low to mid 20s usually kills most annuals, but what I do is let the falling leaves stay over my flower beds to act as a blanket.  I rake the leaves off my lawn, but leave the leaves over the rest of my yard.     The recent chill has brought my camellias into bloom and I will plant some of the hardier annuals (violas, petunias) next week just to give the yard some color.   My crown of thorns has gotten so big(over 5 feet) that I'm not sure what to do with it.  It's difficult to move, but it will fit in my back shed.  Tonight should stay well above freezing on the South Shore, but tomorrow night should be colder since winds will be near calm.  Expect to see some frost away from the Lake, but that has happened before so it should be no big deal.   A big warm up will come by Thursday PM as another in a series of storms comes out of the Rockies and heads towards the Great Lakes.  This will place us back into the warm air (70+) sector for Friday into Sunday.   This up and down pattern makes it difficult for humans to acclimate themselves to the cold temps.  Up north it gets cold and pretty much stays cold for months at a time.  Being born up there, I didn't like the long Winters just like many of you don't like our long, hot Summers.   For me, heat beats cold especially as arthritis takes it toll on us "old folks".  Stay tuned!

The fires are out in California, however, the rain storms are coming over the next several weeks so expect to see lots of video showing damage from mudslides coming down the barren landscapes.  Sad to watch.  Saw a FB post from my cousin who lived in Paradise, CA.   He tried to flee the flames in his truck, but gridlock on the road leading out of town forced him to abandon it and run for his life.  He's been left with nothing from his past.  His family will assist him in recovery.   Prayers for Joey are welcomed.