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Bertwhistle
24 January 2016 09:16:22

What a fool! I left the Kaffir Lime outside in that -5.7C we had; it was happily shooting new sprigs in December. I'll have to watch it now but it doesn't look good. We got everything else in to the conservatory, but that was in the front garden and I forgot.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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DEW
  • DEW
  • Advanced Member
24 January 2016 14:56:56


 


Or a man 12! (I think that came from Carl Tyler, a former TVS weather man). Should we put a snowshoe on and cheat?


Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 


Further back, I think - it's in Laurie Lee's autobiography as a well-known country saying in the 1920s


War does not determine who is right, only who is left - Bertrand Russell

Chichester 12m asl
Bertwhistle
25 January 2016 03:03:37

Spent ages in the garden pulling out weeds yesterday- the frosty spell didn't seem to do much damage to them, or the slugs, which are busily gnawing at my crocuses.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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llamedos
25 January 2016 15:02:07

As we're into a new year I think I'll lock the old thread and move this upto the top on a "sticky".


"Life with the Lions"

TWO Moderator
llamedos
25 January 2016 15:06:16

The old thread hasn't been lost I've moved it to the TWO Classic's thread.


"Life with the Lions"

TWO Moderator
Bertwhistle
25 January 2016 17:59:53


The old thread hasn't been lost I've moved it to the TWO Classic's thread.


Originally Posted by: llamedos 


Yeah sorry llamedos; I didn't know what the agreed protocols were when I started this one - just saw other threads being restarted & wanted to inspire some posting so please accept apologies. Your thread!


Regards


Bertie


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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llamedos
30 January 2016 12:31:57

No problem with you opening a new thread Bertie , it's just we don't need two threads running in parallel which is why I archived the previous one.


"Life with the Lions"

TWO Moderator
ARTzeman
30 January 2016 13:38:27

Glad I brought my Orange Lime bush in from the Growing Room when I did befer the frosts.   Now have TWO fruits on it...






Some people walk in the rain.
Others just get wet.
I Just Blow my horn or trumpet
Bertwhistle
30 January 2016 13:41:29


Glad I brought my Orange Lime bush in from the Growing Room when I did befer the frosts.   Now have TWO fruits on it...


Originally Posted by: ARTzeman 


Well done Art; I mentioned earlier that I'd overlooked our Kaffir Lime; it's probably had it but we'll nurture its pot until spring. It got wet as well as cold. We do appreciate what it provides as we cook Thai food a lot.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Bertwhistle
08 February 2016 15:26:08

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/747/Akebia-quinata/Details


Here's another first for this amazing season in the garden.


Our akebia (see above) is flowering. End of March 2012 is the earliest I can remember although I'll admit this one's not on my flowering diary list. The thing about this is it's not just a rogue flower (as in 2012)- the whole climber is bursting forth.


I prefer it from May onwards when the scent on heady summer evenings is hard to match-more evocative than jasmine even.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Bertwhistle
13 February 2016 12:07:34

Several clumps of snowdrops now nodding delicately under the fruit trees on our woodland bank; they're braving this dungy weather with a sparkling white grin!


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Bertwhistle
15 February 2016 08:07:56

Time to get the broad beans in once tonight's frost has passed; the early, hardy sort seem to fight off the blackfly better later on.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Bertwhistle
17 February 2016 03:15:21

Cowslips, pulmonaria and celandines in profusion along the woodland bank, looked odd covered in thick frost yesterday.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Skreever
17 February 2016 08:48:41
Our tete a tete daffodils have been out since the third week of January; snowdrops now profuse especially in wooded areas of the garden. One brave crocus has just appeared in a sheltered position underneath a south facing hedge. Definitely a little more warmth in the sun - if you can find a sheltered spot.
Veteran of winter of 62/63
By Scapa Flow, Orkney
Bertwhistle
17 February 2016 08:57:42

Our tete a tete daffodils have been out since the third week of January; snowdrops now profuse especially in wooded areas of the garden. One brave crocus has just appeared in a sheltered position underneath a south facing hedge. Definitely a little more warmth in the sun - if you can find a sheltered spot.

Originally Posted by: Skreever 


I'm impressed as the sun must still be at a low angle. Does your maritime location keep the worst of the frosts away, Skreever?


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Skreever
17 February 2016 09:40:33
Indeed it does - our mean winter temperature is 5C. Coldest this winter has been minus 3C. We're at 58.94 N - that's closer to the Arctic circle than we are to , say, London. But we have one major adversary - the salt-laden wind. It can burn the healthiest plant back to a brown stalk if you're unlucky. Add in wind chill from winds which can top 70 mph regularly (official record is 134mph at which point the anemometer broke) hosing this salt solution everywhere and you have challenging conditions. Western Isles and Shetland face the same problems.
Was on a birdwalk last Monday - every month through the winter - and we parked ourselves out of the wind on a grassy bank for picnic lunch. Sun so warm that in minutes the outer layers of Goretex were being shed and definitely a wee touch of the sun visible by evening ( might have been windburn though😎).

Veteran of winter of 62/63
By Scapa Flow, Orkney
Roger Parsons
23 February 2016 14:55:21

Just been down to check the bees. Farm road a mess and the ground in the apiary is still saturated. 7degC and a light NNW wind, but sunny and bright and a few keen bees were flying. All hives are alive, active and taking supplementary feed [fondant]. What they want now is spring so they can fetch in some pollen. There are plenty of flowers out in the garden if only they can get here. I saw a bumblebee pass by a window here at midday - White-tailed at a guess.


 


Roger


RogerP
West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire
Everything taken together, here in Lincolnshire are more good things than man could have had the conscience to ask.
William Cobbett, in his Rural Rides - c.1830
Lionel Hutz
23 February 2016 17:38:52

Indeed it does - our mean winter temperature is 5C. Coldest this winter has been minus 3C. We're at 58.94 N - that's closer to the Arctic circle than we are to , say, London. But we have one major adversary - the salt-laden wind. It can burn the healthiest plant back to a brown stalk if you're unlucky. Add in wind chill from winds which can top 70 mph regularly (official record is 134mph at which point the anemometer broke) hosing this salt solution everywhere and you have challenging conditions. Western Isles and Shetland face the same problems.
Was on a birdwalk last Monday - every month through the winter - and we parked ourselves out of the wind on a grassy bank for picnic lunch. Sun so warm that in minutes the outer layers of Goretex were being shed and definitely a wee touch of the sun visible by evening ( might have been windburn though😎).

Originally Posted by: Skreever 


As a matter of interest, how close to the coast are you? How far inland can damaging salt-laden winds reach?


Lionel Hutz
Nr.Waterford , S E Ireland
68m ASL



Skreever
26 February 2016 16:07:37


 


As a matter of interest, how close to the coast are you? How far inland can damaging salt-laden winds reach?


Originally Posted by: Lionel Hutz 


I'm about 350 yards from the beach at Scapa Flow.  The salt wind can cover the entire island - not worth washing salt-caked windows as the rain will do it soon enough.  
You're never more than about 5 miles from the sea in Orkney, the result being that growing shelter is important for gardeners.  The islands were wooded once - in the Neolithic era - but our ancestors chopped most of the trees; then the climate cooled in the Bronze Age and suddenly growing crops  became a tougher proposition.


Veteran of winter of 62/63
By Scapa Flow, Orkney
Bertwhistle
26 February 2016 16:56:32

Disappointing display of crocuses this year; 500 or so came up last year and we planted another 40 in the autumn. Although about 50 have made it to bloom so far, and there are more waiting, probably 90% of these have been purple. The white, yellow, popcorn and other colours we have, have been distinctly lacking.


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Lionel Hutz
26 February 2016 16:59:06


 


I'm about 350 yards from the beach at Scapa Flow.  The salt wind can cover the entire island - not worth washing salt-caked windows as the rain will do it soon enough.  
You're never more than about 5 miles from the sea in Orkney, the result being that growing shelter is important for gardeners.  The islands were wooded once - in the Neolithic era - but our ancestors chopped most of the trees; then the climate cooled in the Bronze Age and suddenly growing crops  became a tougher proposition.


Originally Posted by: Skreever 


That's really interesting. I'm a good ten miles or so inland so obviously I have no such problems. Mostly around here , a mile or two from the coast and you're quite safe from salt damage and trees and bushes will avoid that wind-blown look. With shelter,  you'll have woodland right down to the sea in favoured spots. Not too common though as we've also been successful in denuding our landscape of trees....


Lionel Hutz
Nr.Waterford , S E Ireland
68m ASL



Skreever
28 February 2016 08:54:24
Planted two alders three years ago - almost 8 feet tall already - just 24 inches when first put in. Finding salt resistant trees and shrubs crucial. Escallonia and Olearia both do well and seem immune to salt.
Veteran of winter of 62/63
By Scapa Flow, Orkney
Bertwhistle
28 February 2016 14:16:44

Planted two alders three years ago - almost 8 feet tall already - just 24 inches when first put in. Finding salt resistant trees and shrubs crucial. Escallonia and Olearia both do well and seem immune to salt.

Originally Posted by: Skreever 


Escallonia types often make really good, decorative but functional hedging- additional shelter from those brisk salties. I don't know about Olearia- is that a shrub, perennial, something else? I could look it up I suppose. (Being lazy)


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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Skreever
01 March 2016 09:10:57


 


Escallonia types often make really good, decorative but functional hedging- additional shelter from those brisk salties. I don't know about Olearia- is that a shrub, perennial, something else? I could look it up I suppose. (Being lazy)


Originally Posted by: Bertwhistle 


Also known as New Zealand holly - so I believe. Should be easy to find in a garden centre - mine all came from local gardeners.  New Zealand flax also pretty tough - once again from local gardeners. A blackthorn hedge I planted is now beginning to thrive after 5 years - it takes that long for the roots to develop and everything to settle down.


Veteran of winter of 62/63
By Scapa Flow, Orkney
Bertwhistle
05 March 2016 20:44:17


 


Also known as New Zealand holly - so I believe. Should be easy to find in a garden centre - mine all came from local gardeners.  New Zealand flax also pretty tough - once again from local gardeners. A blackthorn hedge I planted is now beginning to thrive after 5 years - it takes that long for the roots to develop and everything to settle down.


Originally Posted by: Skreever 


That's a great plant Skreever- thorns for nests, flowers for bees, berries for sloe gin. What an investment!


Bertie, Itchen Valley.
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