Hi Robert,
winter came here in the end of November, and ground started to freeze then. In December we got snow and coldest was -12C. Then after Christmas temperatures got warmer again, and some of the ground frost melted as well as snow. First part of January was cold again with snow, the lowest -14C (these are not very cold here) and the last week of January was much warmer than usual, and snow melted away and most of the ground frost also melted. Now it will be at least for the next two weeks nights below freezing and days around 0C or little below so ground will freeze again when there is no snow. So this winter has been up and down all the time. Long term forecast says it will be warmer than usual, but still probably at least some of the time below freezing day and night. I think the worst for plants will be if ground is frozen and it will rain and water then freezes above ground (because it can't penetrate the ground) to form an ice cover. That is what killed many of my plants in winter 2022. In winter 2020 was warm like now, or actually a little warmer. Snowdrops were well advanced by this time, but they were not harmed by couple of weeks cold period later in February. Ground frost melted then in early March, but of course there were nightly frosts until mid April (days above zero).
There is not much I can do now, but I have tried to protect the plants I think are not so hardy with dry autumn leaves and spruce branches, though of course I can't cover the whole garden. Most of the plants will have to cope with this, and it seems this has become more usual with climate change.
It is also an apportunity to learn if there are differences in snowdrops (or other plants - for instance I am a bit worried about autumn flowering crocuses which have grown leaves now, those I have tried to protect more), if some can take this type of weather better than others. For sure I can say 'Mrs Macnamara' will come through well. I have had it now for more than 10 years with several this type of winters, and it starts to flower early, and then after the cold period it is like nothing has happened and continues to flower. I have had some nameless G.elwesii which have suffered and even died, and at the same time some others from the same bulk bulbs have been ok.
When I started with snowdrops, at first I tried to concentrate to late flowering ones, which would be underground in this type of winter, but soon discovered than some or even most of the early or midseason ones will be fine, too.
Still, winter for me is easier when there is not much snow, and heating doesn't cost so much when it isn't so cold. Also spring will probably come earlier, and I am very much looking forward to it.
