All tucked up

Took advantage of the lovely sunny day to put most of the plants to bed for the winter. The A list get moved into the house, but that is limited to a few very select plants.  The B list get a place in the garden shed. The C list end up in a cold frame that gets put together every winter.  Here they are before the front and top goes on.

 For some plants this is their second or third winter in there, I am always amazed that the large aloe zebrine (back right) makes it through each winter and its flower is normally the reason the roof has to be taken off come spring. For others this is their first winter, and if forecasts are correct it is going to be a tough test for them. Once they are all in the front is put on, and a top (which can be removed on sunny days).

The remaining plants (D - Z list) are split between different shelters, where possible I try to ensure duplicates are split up to test how much scope I have to protect them less each year.  I have several planters which I use for experiments, both in terms of how they grow over the summer and what survives over winter.  One is my echeveria bowl:

This contains a set of echeverias that have either shown they can cope with cold or that I think may be promising. The large one middle left is a hybrid of my own making: pulidonis x rosea. I have been really pleased with both its growth rate and how it coped with last winter, so fingers crossed it carries on this winter. This bowl gets a simple plastic bell cloche, which just helps to keep them dry.

Now it is just a matter of waiting for spring when we see what has survived my cruel experiments.