Contrasts

Friday night was the coldest we have had this winter and when I trundled down the path yesterday afternoon, the fluffy white snow was crunchy underfoot.  The ice cold air tickled my nostrils, the sun was shining and the garden glistened, like someone had spinkled glitter over everything.  It was the perfect winters day for walking in the countryside.  It was crisp and exhilarating, as long as you have confidence in your footwear.  We have several areas of compacted snow on our plot which have turned to smooth sheets of ice.  I avoid these, I value my bones too much.

I popped along to the greenhouse to check on the potted plants I am over-wintering in there and when I opened the door there was a rush of warm, humid air.  The contrast between outside and inside was remarkable and I am going to buy a thermometer just to see what the temperature climbs to in the winter.  Even at sub-zero temperatures it does not take much sunshine to warm up a glass house and the stone flags we have for the base of ours, absorb the heat and keep the plants cosy during the night.  I have a watering can full of water in there and it remains unfrozen, unlike one by a water butt.

As I was snipping and checking and moving around in there, the snow on the roof started to slide and I had my very own mini avelanche.  Luckily the glass in the cold frames outside are made with safety glass!

There was one thing I was not happy about in the greenhouse. Whitefly.  Being toasty warm in the greenhouse all winter means they can get on with what they like to do, with little threat.  They love my parsley and three pots of it are now useless.  It is so annoying.