The weather

[ideasguy]

Winter finally arrived in Ireland this week. We had a little fall of snow on Friday 25th Nov. Looking at that date, if it had waited a month we would have had a white Christmas.

It wasnt as bad as predicted, and had cleared in low ground by late afternoon. I was able to get a few more bulbs planted yesterday (Saturday). Its a bit late, but the packets say Oct to Dec.

[Pixydish]

We are not alone! We had snow here in western Washington state yesterday. Fat flakes falling fast. This is very unseasonable weather here. I don't expect below freezing temps until January. Anything that still had green leaves in the garden has now bitten the proverbial dust. I spent some time today pulling up cannas and elephant ears out of the pond. 

[ideasguy]

Its gone quite mild again. It didnt get as bad as predicted here either, I'm relieved to say! I've a few bulbs to plant yet!

Cannas and elephant ears in the pond???   

[no ideas man]

hi
   I was full of good intentions when got up this morning nothing to major just little jobs in the garden I had been putting off,when I looked out the window snow, now snow is great on the hills and on christmas cards (but not in my garden) so I made a drink and read a gardening book.Now I have heard it said a little knowledge is a dangerous thing but what good is it if you don't get the weather to put it into practice,ah well time to put the kettle on must remind the wife to buy a larger box of tea bags

Happy gardening

Harry 

[ideasguy]

Much nicer here in Ireland Harry. I'm on the way out to repot my Japanese maples. I skipped that job last year!

It was bitterly cold yesterday, so I pruned shrubs.

[no ideas man]

hi george
              thanks for that little snipit it is still snowing in my part of the world so it's back to the teapot, re dahlia bishops children I grew them for a friend last year and wish i had kept some back for myself. I would like to transplant them and put them in my unheated G-h but am a bit dubious about the frost. What would you do (the seedlings are ready for potting on)

Happy Gardening

Harry

[ideasguy]

I'd say its a bit soon for Dahlias in the cold greenhouse, but you know best how to grow things from a very early sowing. You seem to be good at that.

Do you have the tray on your undersoil heater at present?

Since you are able to get out early in the morning, have you tried fleece protection at night in the cold greenhouse? Does it work?

[greenfinger]

What's the night temperature where you live, George? Here it is between -6 and -11°C.
In the course of the day 2°C. This seems, so says the weatherman, 8°C below the normal temperature for the time of the year. Once this stops I fear I will be confronted with an avalanche of work that had to be postponed. (f.i. replanting trees and shrubs!)

[ideasguy]

During the week ending  Sat 4th March we had (probably) our worst frost of the winter week, -8°C.

I took my Echiums into the greenhouse, but they still suffered.
They look a bit bedraggled now. 2 look "fairly" OK, 4 are not looking good.

I had a gorgeous yellw Argyranthemum in the greenhouse. It got a severe hammering. A few little bits of green. Hope they make it!

Normally its no worse than -2 to -3
You seem to get it much worse than here.

We had a lot of rain and hail this past few days. The ground is waterlogged.
However, it was actually quite mild, and I got a lot of work done today, re-potting my Japanese maples. Hope its not too late. They are about to burst into leaf.
It was a good day for the job, from the plant point of view, and we are not expecting frost tonight.

[greenfinger]

Hope its not too late. They are about to burst into leaf.

That's what I fear: the soil is very waterlogged, impossible to do anything and then tout à coup the big spring explosing without having had the opportunity to prepare the trees and shrubs.
By the way: which echiums do you cultivate, George? I have a bed of Echium russicum, I think they are amongst the most hardy.

[ideasguy]

Ive just had a look at the description of Echium russicum on the T&M site:

They seem to be useful little plants.

I say little. I THINK the ones in my greenhouse are Echium pininana:
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/us/en/product/6227/1

[greenfinger]

Those hardiness rates (in this case f.i. Echium russicum)  seem to be a source of very different opinions: I quote a text from the internet: "Hardy zone ?   I have one reference book that lists this as hardy zone 9 !  Phillips and Rix list as 'Hardy to -20C or less'. "
Strange, isn't it?
This night temperature drops here till -8°C. It seems last night it reached a level of -17°C in the Ardennes (altitude 600 metres). Warming up of the planet? Certainly not here at this moment.
Little plants in the cold frame doing well: very brave creatures!

[ideasguy]

US Zone 9 is -6.6 to -1.1 C
Since you have temps to -8 and your Echium russicum survives, perhaps the hardiness is somewhere nearer Zone 8.
But then, there are other factors as well as hardiness which determines whether plants survive. Perhaps you have a little micro climate?

Today was really mild in Ireland. However, snow is forecast for St Patricks day (Friday).
There are "some" who may not notice, depending on the intake of the black liquid heating fuel 
Dont worry, I'm not planning on being the oldest swinger in town at this stage  ... dont know of any gigs... yet!