Frosty Gardening

At the moment here it appears I am only getting hard frosts on Saturday nights into Sunday mornings.

I woke up far too early for my liking today, it was still dark, so I went off in search of a big mug of tea, and whilst waiting for the kettle to boil I watched the sun slowly rise to reveal a frozen garden.

I defrosted my bird baths, and topped up the bird tables with fresh seeds, so the birds could have a good feed to replenish all the energy lost overnight in keeping warm.

My posh digital Max/Min thermometer stated that it reached -1.7 outside in the night.

I took a trundle around the garden to see what effect the frost has had on my plants.

I have a selection of Ferns along my fence which are in the shade all day, this ferny fellow looked all Christmassy.

Although it is now certainly goodbye to my Fushias, I have decided not to store them frost-free over this winter, but to buy new rooted cuttings in the spring and treat myself to some new varieties.

Too much fuss and effort to store over the winter.

One of the few evergreen shrubs in my garden is my Sarcococca Confusia which is currently covered in berries, in the next month or two it will be in full flower and smelling gorgeous.

I have been planting my garden over the last year so that the plants primarily benefit the wildlife, and mostly the Birds.   A year ago I planted a Malus ‘Evereste’, for the nice fruits and the lovely blossom that comes in the Spring.

Now somebody has been enjoying the fruits, as each day there are less on the plant, but I never see who is eating them. It’s dark when I go to work, and dark when I get home..!!

I’m sure my Rudbeckia’s would have just kept on flowering if we had not had a frost, I was originally given this plant as a spare division from a friends garden about 8 years ago, such a star plant in my garden.. and free.!!

Plenty of nice pattens of frost on seed heads.

More Seed heads…

Last one….. Aliens.? Or seed pod..?

Final picture shows something very much alive….
I have a passion for Nerines, but I’m an expert at never getting a flower from them. I bought yet more bulbs last spring and out of 10 bulbs managed to get 1 in flower.

I follow all the experts instructions to the letter, and yet the plants just hate me.

This plant is safe from the wet and wind in my little cold greenhouse with no door, I think it looks ok so, perhaps there is hope for me after all.

Next growing season perhaps I will buy a selection of cultivars and try to get more flowers.!

I’ve got lots of little jobs planned in the garden over the next few months, but the ground is soggy, and some areas in the garden are very muddy and this week we get our loft insulation re-done which will result in loads of DIY jobs around the house that need doing.

Roll on Summer.!