Mandevilla, how it's holding up.

First, here are the pictures showing how bad it is looking. (see blog titled "My Mandevilla" for more info on this plant)

November

All the fallen leaves and flowers

compared to

When I first put it outside after its first winter.

September. 

Here are a few pictures of it's new growth (may be hard to see though).

My Mandevilla

This summer was my first year growing a mandevilla vine.  The one pictured below was given to my family when my mom passed away in 2010.  My step-dad kept it for the first year and gave it to me this year.  It did wonderfully on my patio where it got full sun.  Below are some pictures I took of it while it was still outside.


I knew that it would again have to come inside for winter, but this time it was staying at my house.... and I have two cats who will eat all plants, real or fake.  I also noticed that the plant had little yellow aphids living on it.  So I took a trip to Home Depot and picked up some pet friendly pesticide and sprayed the plant about 3 times.  It was outside until it got down to about 50 degrees F.


When I brought it in, I put it in the sunniest room I could.  However, it soon lost almost all leaves and began to look dead, not sure if the pesticide had anything to do with it.  I bought it a grow light to help provide more light since it no longer gets direct sun.  We keep the house around 73 degrees F.  It still didn't seem to perk up.  I have read many accounts of people cutting their mandevilla back for winter and letting it go dormant.  I figured mine probably did go dormant.


but.....


Just yesterday I looked closely at it and saw a few new baby leaves!!!  I'm just glad to know its still alive and well.  I did not want to have to wait until spring to find out if I killed it.  I'll add some pictures of how it looks, without all its leaves... its pitiful and sad looking.

Garden Tasks for Fall (September - November)

Yes, it's getting colder and the daylight is fading, but there is still much to do.

Preparations 

Remove dead and dying stems and foliage from perennials.  Be sure to to leave a few to protect the roots over winter.

Planting

• Plant hardy perennials and hardy evergreen shrubs in early fall.
• Plant deciduous shrubs and trees late in season when leaves have fallen.
• Remove and compost summer annuals.
• Plant spring-flowering biennials and bulbs.

Other Chores

• Transplant deciduous shrubs in late fall.
• Lift and divide hardy perennials.
• Lift and store, or insulate, tender perennials and shrubs before first frost.
• Lift and store dahlias and cannas after the first frosts.
• Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous shrubs.

This list was found in Learn to Garden: A Practical Introduction to Gardening.  I did modify the list a little.