And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth

Our recent extended dip into freezing weather knocked a lot of my garden down. Some I expected, like my poor echiums.

Echium wildpretii and Echium candicans 'Star of Madeira' 

But I didn't even think to worry about my daphnes!

All of the leaves of Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata' are burned.

Anybody have any experience with this kind of damage? Great Plant Picks states that it can lose its leaves to freeze and completely regenerate but it still worries me.

Not the black daphne I had in mind.

My Daphne odora 'Mae Jima' in the front garden fared a little better and it looks like I might get blooms for the first time this year.

I tend to be pretty cavalier about my garden; if something doesn't survive it's an opportunity to go plant shopping. But this . . . daphne is my very favorite! And the 'Aureomarginata' was one of the very first plants I placed in my garden. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the rest of my garden but I suspect some of the newer plants I installed this fall (like a passion fruit vine) are toast. I don't know how you gardeners in the lower zones do it. Winter, you are a cruel beast.

Daphne is for winners

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I've gotten to work in the garden the past two weekends AND the daphne is blooming!

Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata'

I carry a little bud vase of daphne from room to room with me, like a weirdo. I think daphne has the best fragrance in the whole world. People should stop using those awful air fresheners and just plant more fragrant shrubs.

The best part is that my other two daphnes haven't even started blooming yet. More fragrance to come! (I'm a little high on springtime, if you can't tell.)