Winter Weather

[penstemon]

No, it's just stupid. It's happened before; affects the gardener more than the plants.The cold-hardening process was already completed in most of the plants, so they didn't even notice.
The agaves were affected, because they need about three days after first exposure to cold to complete the hardening process. I've attached three pictures.
First is an undamaged Agave parryi subsp. neomexicana, second is one showing damage (this plant has been in the garden for a quarter century but has been moved so much it never gets large), and the third is a completely dead Agave havardiana. (As the World's Foremost Authority on Succulent Plant Death, I don't even need to do the health test, which involves poking the plant with a stick.)

[Chris Johnson]

Tad windy here for the next three days. 

Chris

[johnstephen29]

Have you had any snow yet chris? I saw a picture in the paper of the highlands, they have had quite a bit. Really sannie here yesterday

[Chris Johnson]

Have you had any snow yet chris? I saw a picture in the paper of the highlands, they have had quite a bit. Really sannie here yesterday

We often get lumped with the highlands, John, but the Outer Hebrides have a different climate. Wet and windy is the usual winter fare with the Gulf Stream protecting us from sub-zero temperatures most of the time.

[Maggi Young]

We are told by the met. office bods that a "weather bomb" - or the  deliciously named "explosive cyclogenesis" is heading our way, hitting hard tomorrow. The wind is certainly getting increasing here and I won't be letting the small, but perfectly formed Bulb Despot out on his own tomorrow. 

[johnstephen29]

It can get pretty windy here too Maggi, I'm on the coast side of the Lincolnshire wolds so have no protection from the freezing cold winds coming in from the North Sea.

[johnw]

Chris  -   I'm fascinated by your climate out there and still wonder how our forebearers on those isles supported themselves. 

How do dwarf lepidote rhododendrons do on S. Uist?  Given the experiences here on our outer coasts I'd guess they should grow splendidly there.

johnw - +2c and another torrential rainstorm on the way. Precip must surely be close to normal by now.

[Chris Johnson]

How do dwarf lepidote rhododendrons do on S. Uist?  Given the experiences here on our outer coasts I'd guess they should grow splendidly there.

John

The issue we have on the west coast is wind-blow shell-sand (alkaline), with a thin stablising cover of vegetation which gives us a glorious show of wild flowers in summer (locally knowned as machair). Useless for rhododendrons though. The acidic eastern side has R. ponticum as an Invasive Non-native (INN). There is no great history of gardening on the islands.

[mark smyth]

2c most of yesterday here but today its a very warm, for the time of year, 11c

[Hoy]

Still no real frost, just -0.3C as the coldest so far but now we have a real gale in sight. It has already started to blow hard.

Look here:

http://artikkel.yr.no/her-kommer-stormen-1.12090209


You can turn the globe and look at any place:

http://earth.nullschool.net/

[johnstephen29]

I think we must be having the same storm as you are hoy, there was an icy wind blowing when I was walking the dog, & I can still here it blowing now outside. On the plus side it will keep the frost away

[Hoy]

John, I can hear and feel it outside now - and I am very glad I don't need to walk any dog!
It was colder earlier today, now it is about 6C.

[johnstephen29]

Hi hoy it's 9c here according to the temperature gauge outside. I also inspected the Galanthus seed pods there swelling a treat, should get a good harvest, everything crossed 

[GordonT]

We are getting ready for a bit of rain- up to 100 mm is expected to fall in our part of Nova Scotia, beginning tonight and continuing through to Thursday morning.  I am hoping we will be spared the full onslaught... the topsoil in one of our new beds could be washed away by that much rain in such a short time. The southern tip of the province will also be visited by significant winds (gusts to 90 Km). Thankfully there's plenty of firewood stored, and a fresh bottle of single malt at the ready.

[johnstephen29]

I'm sat in the conservatory at the moment watching the christmas lights I helped the twins(my youngest two) put onto our cherry tree getting blown about in the gale, they'll be gutted if there not there in the morning.