We must not be beaten

Doc and I are keen gardeners but keeping our spirits up at the moment is a difficult.  I can’t remember seeing so much snow at the end of March, nor have I ever felt quite so cold for so long.  But whilst the thermometer sticks stubbornly at the bottom of the scale, we gardeners must find a way of carrying on the best we can.

Springfield disappeared under an 8 inch blanket of the white stuff and I have rescued a dozen or more daffodils flattened by the drifts and put them in a vase on the kitchen table.  They are a statement of intent.  Spring WILL spring forth, we must believe that.



Sagging Choisya 26th March 2013

Those of us with south facing window sills and greenhouses can weather the storm to a certain extent because we can do some indoor gardening.  Overnight, our greenhouse turned into an igloo decorated with icicles but inside it, it was a different story altogether.   Granted there was a reduced amount of light but underneath the unheated propagators our Mange Tout peas, Morning Glory and Cosmos seedlings and trays of assorted lettuces were lovely and warm and growing away quite nicely.  In fact it was so warm I took off my gloves and hat.  Snow is a superb insulator and the stone slabs in the greenhouse absorb the warmth and prevent the temperature from dipping too low in the middle of the night.  I really should buy a maximum/minimum thermometer to see just how warm it does get in there but I never get round to it.

Also nestled under glass are tubs of strawberries in full leaf and the pots of early carrots are happily growing away.  The parsley is perky and lush green and I have no doubts that the leek and beetroot seeds will be up and about soon.  I also have some perennials in pots and the patio roses and hardy fuchsias are looking lovely. 

When the sun finally showed itself, the snow on the south side of the greenhouse melted very quickly and the plants were suddenly bathed in much appreciated light.  (Actually, there was a minor avalanche when I opened the door yesterday and I was glad of my hat!).  The temperature inside the greenhouse increased several degrees very quickly so I opened a window for an hour or so in the middle of the day and gave the plants a drink of water.  I keep a couple of watering cans filled with water, in the greenhouse and the water heats up which is much kinder than dousing plants in ice cold water straight from the tap. 

In the house, the plant nursery is doing well with tomatoes, peppers, chillies and cucumbers growing into strong, little plantlets.  I have moved them from the warm kitchen (by the Aga) to the dining room which is south facing but has the radiator turned down to a whisper.  This lower temperature will help to harden them off and after Easter, I will take them down to the greenhouse where they will take their turn under the unheated propagators.  As long as the trays are turned twice a day, I don’t have a problem with seedlings growing leggy.

I never thought gardening could be quite so challenging and it is the extremes of weather that is testing us.  Usually, the explosion of shocking pink camellia flowers is over by now and although there is no damage to this enormous shrub, the buds are tightly furled and it looks like we may have to wait until April for the first bloom.  The perennials in the borders were just beginning to sprout new growth and I am praying they are protected under the thick blanket of snow, conserving their energy until the temperature warms up.

When spring truly arrives we had better hold on tight because the garden will become an explosive force of energy for a very short time, and hopefully we will have a better summer than last year.  In the meantime, Doc and I keep feeding the birds, nurturing our young plants and amuse ourselves by watching a very comical (and tubby) male pheasant fall over in the snow drifts.  He really should invest in a decent pair of boots.

Not forgetting the birds

 

Igloo turns back into a greenhouse

Snowdrops and daffodils trying their best