January 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere

[cohan]

Lots of nice wintry views-- except Robert!
After most of the winter above average temperatures and moderate snowfall ( though we have had snow on the ground in many places since mid-October)  we have had some colder temperatures recently-- but still not serious cold-- we've had some daytime -10 to -17C with nights -18 to -25C that will sound cold to those of you in warmer climates, but consider that a real cold spell for mid winter could be daytime below -20 and nights -30 to -45C! We've had nothing colder than -25C all winter, which is much more unusual than any warmish days we've had.
Nothing happening in the garden of course, yesterday I took a few shots to show some of the variability in native Picea glauca. These are all wild trees growing close to the house.. first shot is the two oldest /most mature trees around-- note the top is rounded- not many of that age around, they are right by the driveway.
Last photo is a bonus shot of Sorbus aucuparia which froze with leaves on this year (fairly sudden cold, mid-Oct) to the right of if it is a planted 'Colorado Blue Spruce' contrast colour to a glauca to the left.

[Robert]

Here's the same scene as above but in sunshine. It is still very cold here and the ice on the fjord hasn't covered that much since 1986.

Hi Trond,

It seems like your weather has been extremely cold! It is interesting that during late December/early January there was a pronounced disruption of the stratospheric polar vortex with a marked slowing of the winds and rise in temperatures. This weather phenomenon led to the commencement of a period of Sudden Stratospheric Warming, which began on 5 January. Today I noticed a continuation of the reversal of the upper tropospheric winds in the vicinity of Finland and western Russia. It appears that how, or if, the current displacement and/or split in the polar vortex plays out will determine our weather in the coming weeks and months.

[Leena]

Today I noticed a continuation of the reversal of the upper tropospheric winds in the vicinity of Finland and western Russia. It appears that how, or if, the current displacement and/or split in the polar vortex plays out will determine our weather in the coming weeks and months.

Here the forecast isn't sure how it will be later this month (they are talking about the same thing your wrote about), colder from east or warmer from west winds, but right now this and next week are cold (-17C last night). On the whole, it looks like we are below freezing all February, but how much, that isn't sure. And I hope it doesn't last all March, too.

[cohan]

Another winter tree-- this one is birch, all same tree-- presumably Betula papyrifera, though our local specimens have some interesting features, and there could be some hybridising going on. Our trees are quite variable in colour- generally whitish, but on a closer look there can be lots of pink, re-brown, silver-greys, even violet (often, but not always, young stems are dark colours, as are fine branches). They are commonly several trunked, and generally not super long-lived, though when older trunks fall, there are often suckers that grow up..

[Robert]

Here the forecast isn't sure how it will be later this month (they are talking about the same thing your wrote about), colder from east or warmer from west winds, but right now this and next week are cold (-17C last night). On the whole, it looks like we are below freezing all February, but how much, that isn't sure. And I hope it doesn't last all March, too.

Hello Leena

I hope that a thick blanket of snow still safely covers your garden. It appears that the same weather pattern is going to persist for at least the next week. This morning the anomalous ridging/300mb jet in the Northern Pacific extended from 33N to 73N from ~ 180 to 165W. This will likely continue the displacement of the Polar Vortex in the vicinity of northern Finland/northwestern Russia. In your region this translates to a continuation of below average temperatures, for us in California, more dry weather. There have been some recent shifts in the OLR in the western equatorial Pacific. Hopefully this will translate into a shift in the weather pattern. We could use much more precipitation; maybe less cold would be welcome in your region.



Cyclamen coum rebounded well after the last storm.

[Lesley Cox]

My own H. mollis pallida also succumbed to drought last summer (2019/20) which astounded me as it was 10 years in its place and had grown and flowered so well all along. But it was a very dry season (unlike the current one) and as well as the witch hazel, arisaemas, podophyllums a couple of smaller rhododendrons and many primulas died. I was watering but we had severe restrictions and I was well into a period of not Covid lockdown but immobility due to a knee which needed replacement and had virtually crippled me so the garden all over was badly neglected. Even now, (the knee was replaced in October '20) while the dying has ceased, the plant replacement is impossible in many instances. Some, like the glaucidiums had previously set good seed and I have young plants of both purple and white forms, but at close to 78 I am conscious of the possibility that some things may not flower or not mature anyway, until too late for me.
 

[Leena]

Hello Leena
I hope that a thick blanket of snow still safely covers your garden. It appears that the same weather pattern is going to persist for at least the next week....

Hopefully this will translate into a shift in the weather pattern. We could use much more precipitation; maybe less cold would be welcome in your region.

Yes, certainly less cold would be welcome. There is a lot of snow, and my Cyclamen coum buds are safely under protection of dry leaves and then 40cm of snow. Yours is lovely!

[Hoy]

Cohan,

Picea glauca is planted here. The only native spruce is P. abies but several others are planted both in gardens and in forests. However, around here, P. sitchensis dominates.

I hope your rowan tree survive!

Your birch tree looks very similar to ours! Especially those we have at the west coast!

[Hoy]

Robert,

The cold weather pattern continues at least two more weeks. January was the coldest January since 2010 in the country, and some places had a monthly mean 7C lower than normal. Here we had only a few days above freezing so the little snow disappeared, and then back to even colder weather. We have gotten 10cm of snow though but the soil is frozen solid deep down. I think many plants will die but I hope the spring will be delayed and then no more frost when the thawing starts.

[Hoy]

My own H. mollis pallida also succumbed to drought last summer (2019/20) which astounded me as it was 10 years in its place and had grown and flowered so well all along. But it was a very dry season (unlike the current one) and as well as the witch hazel, arisaemas, podophyllums a couple of smaller rhododendrons and many primulas died. I was watering but we had severe restrictions and I was well into a period of not Covid lockdown but immobility due to a knee which needed replacement and had virtually crippled me so the garden all over was badly neglected. Even now, (the knee was replaced in October '20) while the dying has ceased, the plant replacement is impossible in many instances. Some, like the glaucidiums had previously set good seed and I have young plants of both purple and white forms, but at close to 78 I am conscious of the possibility that some things may not flower or not mature anyway, until too late for me.

Lesley,

Sorry to hear of your losses. Lacking water is almost worse than freezing. (We can experience drought here also but rarely as severe as yours.)
Hope your knee is mending well.

[cohan]

My own H. mollis pallida also succumbed to drought last summer (2019/20) which astounded me as it was 10 years in its place and had grown and flowered so well all along. But it was a very dry season (unlike the current one) and as well as the witch hazel, arisaemas, podophyllums a couple of smaller rhododendrons and many primulas died. I was watering but we had severe restrictions and I was well into a period of not Covid lockdown but immobility due to a knee which needed replacement and had virtually crippled me so the garden all over was badly neglected. Even now, (the knee was replaced in October '20) while the dying has ceased, the plant replacement is impossible in many instances. Some, like the glaucidiums had previously set good seed and I have young plants of both purple and white forms, but at close to 78 I am conscious of the possibility that some things may not flower or not mature anyway, until too late for me.

I hope you are getting more mobility back! My housemate had a knee injury a little over a year ago, as I think I've mentioned, and still  slowly regaining more functionality, bit by bit!

Happily there are lots of wonderful things to grow which can flower and mature quickly! I've tended not to plant too many super slow things just because I don't know that I'll be staying here!

[cohan]

Cohan,

Picea glauca is planted here. The only native spruce is P. abies but several others are planted both in gardens and in forests. However, around here, P. sitchensis dominates.

I hope your rowan tree survive!

Your birch tree looks very similar to ours! Especially those we have at the west coast!

I'm sure the Sorbus will be completely fine, they are very hardy here, even decades ago when we had even more severe winters! I've seen them have some leaves frozen on before, in spring they are normal. It not rarely happens to native poplars as well- one year nearly all trees stil had leaves barely turned colour when deep freeze arrived-- they turned black/grey/brown and fell weeks later when it warmed. In spring no differences noted. One plant here that sometimes suffers a bit in that way is a large rugosa type rose-- sometimes the canes are killed when they freeze without hardening, but then it just shoots up full height ( it is 8-10 feet) in the next season. Hardened canes are fully hardy.

[cohan]

Another winter wild plant-- Rhododendron (Ledum) groenlandicum in wet woods at the north side of the acreage. They don't flower a lot on the acreage, probably lack of sun as they are in mixed woods-- spruce, tamarack (Larix) poplars and willow. I think they'd prefer to keep their leaves under snow in winter, but the snow is not always that deep here, so the sheltered location is probably helpful. I don't know of any other sites on the farm- I suspect they don't like cows though the back of the acreage was grazed many decades ago, and the plants were there as long as I can remember ( at least back to late '70's, early '80's, probably before..)

[Robert]

Hi Lesley,

It seems like it was not the year for the genus Hamamelis. We lost an old 25-year old plant this season. It lost its shade when we removed part of our house. At least we now have more garden and less house.

I certainly hope that your knee heals well and you are out in your garden 100% soon enough. Sharing your horticultural expertise and vast experience is a tremendous asset to this forum, from which we all benefit. Thank you so much!

Now on with a few scenes from our garden.



This is a familiar early spring scene, Snowdrops and a few early Crocus.



Our vegetable beds are recovering after the stormy weather. The cider blocks are filled with California native bulbs and annuals. Later this season the plants in the cider blocks will be very colorful with many flowers.



Doing more with less. This simple cloche was constructed with simple items found in our yard. It may not look like much, however it is very effective and fits in well with our simple old fashion cottage garden method of gardening.



Lachenelia reflexa is fading but still looking good.

[Robert]

We are very pleased with Crocus angustifolius. In our garden, this species blooms very early in the spring. We have a number of plants, all grown from seed. Our hope is to increase their numbers and spread them around in the open garden.



Crocus biflorus ssp. isauricus is easy, both in the open garden as well as in the cider block planters.



Another easy-to-grow Crocus species, Crocus tommasinianus. These were grown from seed. We are hoping that they set seed and continue to thrive in our garden.



Leucojum aestivum is a familiar early spring bloomer in our area. I grow them from seed hoping for something better or different. Nothing in this department, yet.



The first flower to open on this batch of Narcissus hybrids. The blossom became deformed from the stormy weather and variable temperatures. More flowers will be opening soon. The flowers are absolutely nothing special. The plants contain recessive genes that will take another generation to be expressed in the phenotype. I am pleased to be making progress again.