Weather winter 2010/2011

[ChrisB]

Winter in Northumberland yuk!  Its been snowing here since a week ago Wednesday and an accumulation of over 2ft, with drifting etc.  No buses, no postman nothing.  But its quiet, and provisions are stocked up nicely.

[Martin Baxendale]

Wish I had some snow cover. Only a scattering of snow here and, despite layers and layers of bubble wrap, my snowdrop seedling frames and raised beds keep freezing hard as iron, so I have to keep thawing them out with a fan heater one after another. Sooooo cold!!! Mature bulbs might not mind so much, but I'm worried about all the young seedlings. They freeze again almost as soon as I thaw their pots and beds.

Martin!     We actually grow snowdrops outdoors here. Even store pots outdoors in open frames. Some years they are frozen hard for 3 and a half months, even seedlings.   I fear you may be doing them more harm with that fan heater.

johnw

I'm only giving the beds and frames a quick burst of low heat from the fan heater, just enough to keep the smallest seedlings from being frozen solid in rock-hard ice. They're still getting plenty of cold, with the tops of the beds and pots freezing in between de-frosts. The ones that worry me most are those with reginae-olgae and ikariae blood in them, which will be less hardy.

[Maggi Young]

Martin, I worry too that you are doing more harm than good.  Your actions will induce temperature changes that can only be confusing for the plants' systems and the chances of making more ice seem much greater. I would get a rock wool covering over them, in the way Janis does and then get them covered with a tarpaulin or somesuch to insulate them that way. More natural than the heat freeze thaw method.

[Martin Baxendale]

Martin, I worry too that you are doing more harm than good.  Your actions will induce temperature changes that can only be confusing for the plants' systems and the chances of making more ice seem much greater. I would get a rock wool covering over them, in the way Janis does and then get them covered with a tarpaulin or somesuch to insulate them that way. More natural than the heat freeze thaw method.

Constant freeze thaw, freeze thaw is just what we get down here in a normal winter, especially on my south-facing hillside. But don't worry, all I'm aiming for is fairly constant light freeze rather than never-ending deep freeze, for the sake of the tenderest seedlings. Reassuring to hear that John finds his snowdrop seedlings so hardy in his much colder part of the world. Trouble is, we've had such a long run of very mild winters here during the years that I've been raising snowdrops from seed that I've had almost no experience of how the tenderer ones will cope as small seedlngs - and unfortunately this year I planted out lots from pots in my sheltered lean-to, into raised seedling beds in the garden and into larger pots in my frames. However, I'll take care not to thaw the beds and pots out completely - we'll be getting some warmer weather at the weekend anyway (by which I mean 2 to 4 c) which'll probably do the same thing naturally.

[mark smyth]

The heavy snow fall didnt happen over Antrim over night. This is part of my garden - long raised bed, rockery behind it, Betula Jacquemontii with various seeds for the birds, Jacqueline Postill at the gate. She dumped most of her leaves a couple of days before the snow

[Paddy Tobin]

We have had the heaviest snows and the coldest weather on record for November here in the south of Ireland. Today was forecast to bring the beginnings of a thaw but it is not evident so far though there is a  hint of sleet and even rain rather than snow so we may be released shortly. We are unable to drive out our road, so a two mile walk in to town for essentials.

Two photographs from this morning.

Paddy

[ranunculus]

Very pretty images, Paddy.

[daveyp1970]

Paddy the robin photo is lovely one for a christmas card

[johnw]

Whoops Martin! I forgot you might be growing tender ones outside.  Hope they all survive this. BTW freeze/thaw is the usual order of the day here for most of the winter.

Now we are worrying about it being too mild. About 5 years ago this weather went on into late January and they the mercury plunged.  Wiped out many hellebore seedlings in the frames as they had started ibnto growth unlike those in the ground.

johnw - +8c at 8:15 am

[Paul T]

Paddy,

That Robin pic is just gorgeous.  Any chance of you posting a larger version?  That is just SO perfect.    Definitely desktop material, even if slightly out of season for us here in "sunny" early summer Canberra (we've already had more than twice the December average for rain, and we're only at day 3 ).

Thanks for all the lovely snow pictures.  I'm enjoying them, even if you're not enjoying the snow. 

[Anthony Darby]

I could live with that robin on my study wall! I wonder what percentage of robins migrate?

[mark smyth]

I would have many do, Anthony. I think I read that the tame birds residents and the ones that fly away are European

[Stephenb]

I would have many do, Anthony. I think I read that the tame birds residents and the ones that fly away are European

...and you also get some Scandinavian birds overwintering too I think. Leapfrog migration I think they call it...

[Martin Baxendale]

Whoops Martin! I forgot you might be growing tender ones outside.  Hope they all survive this. BTW freeze/thaw is the usual order of the day here for most of the winter.

Now we are worrying about it being too mild. About 5 years ago this weather went on into late January and they the mercury plunged.  Wiped out many hellebore seedlings in the frames as they had started ibnto growth unlike those in the ground.

johnw - +8c at 8:15 am

With hindsight I should have kept the more tender snowdrop seedlings in the comparatively frost-free lean-too but I was running out of space and had to find room for a record number of snowdrop chips in pots this year. What were the chances of two severe-weather-event-type winters in a row, I thought? Now I know.

[Ragged Robin]

Good luck to everyone trying to over winter precious plants - it is amazing what does survive under the insulated cover of a snow blanket - freeze/thaw is the real killer for me in the Alps.  We always hanker after White Christmasses and it looks like it might be on the cards!

Paddy I absolutely love both your garden photos but your Robin photo is so perfect in character and detail and it certainly would make a fabulous card.