Weather 2013

[Tim Ingram]

Snow has an amazing effect on a garden - rather like comparing black and white and colour photos, but just with that hint of colour. Temperatures have dropped in south-east Britain to around -6°C, enough to stop much activity in the garden for a while. This sort of weather rarely lasts that long in the south, hence we have so many snowdrop gardens that open in February. Since we are opening for the first time this year in mid-Feb, touch wood it will warm up by then.

[Bundraba!]

Tim, We are sending another arctic tempest your way. It should arrive by the end of the month. Cheers!

[Hoy]

Tim, it looks cozy    Although the temp here is about the same, we have just 1cm of "snow" and expecting rain in a few days.
Michael, I don't want your arctic tempest >

[cohan]

Great views, Tim! Snow does really change things- no surprise- good time to really  look at the bones of the garden!

[Bundraba!]

Oops! -12 F morning of 1-24-13. Pffff -there goes Convolvulus cneorum (Southern Spain native). The photo indicates the weather here; frigid, sunny hot, snow cover -sparse, humidity as near zero as it can get. The plant is at the south foot of an enclosed porch foundation, certainly one of the mildest places on my property, so there may be some life near the base of the plant. The other plant is Muehelenbeckia axillaris (New Zealand native). It goes underground for the winter and the dead top growth insulates it as well. It's never failed to return in spring for many years. There's an Agave (Southwestern USA native), which still looks OK and assorted cacti here too. Weather here currently cruel to all living things.

[cohan]

Hope it pulls through! That's a chilly morning -12F/-24C For comparison, we haven't been lower than around -20F/-29C.

This week we range from nights of -14 to -23C (6.8 to -9.4F) and days from +1 to -14C (33.8 to 6.8F) - typical weather here, but we still haven't had the -30/-40 we could have over winter.. still a decent snowcover from nearly bare under some trees to a foot or so in open areas and several feet where it's shovelled...

[Hoy]

After a couple weeks with cold dry weather (the coldest in my garden was -12C/10F) the milder weather is back. A little snow last night but it will soon transform to rain. What I am afraid of is the soil freezing deep and damaging the tender roots and bulbs when there is no snow cover and prolonged cold weather.

Bundraba, my Convolvolus cneorum died two winters ago. It doesn't like our wet winters either

[cohan]

No such thing as unfrozen soil here, the plants have to be able to take it!

[cohan]

Chilly one today- high of -23C with windchill of -38C, but it's a one day thing-- -11 tomorrow and above freezing the rest of the week..

[Hoy]

The other night it was a difference of almost 50C between the coldest parts of Norway and the warmest. while we had +7C the coldest parts in north was down to -42.
Tonight we'll get a rainstorm and flooding are expected and very high tide.

[cohan]

That's a lot of difference for a relatively small area- I guess that's what mountains and ocean currents will do for you!Today we have a 'snowfall warning'- not as extreme as that sounds- we've probably had at least 10-15 and maybe as much again on the way over the next day or two..
Canada's range for today (for cities) from +13C(Toronto)  to -36C (Yellowknife)

[Bundraba!]

Cooling off today; back to winter. Yesterday went from freezing; 32F to over 55F in a matter of hours: Air was hot, ground was cold. We don't get such a stripping of snow cover often. 4 inches of fresh snow plus pretty much all of the old snow is gone. Last night it rained. No significant snow expected in near term. Looking like cruel winter here for broadleafed evergreens. One group I don't worry about in this weather are steppe dwellers from the western USA. They get it at least as far as the weather here is concerned. I took some more pix this morning of Eritrichiums etc.

[cohan]

Hope your plants make it through the swings, Michael. Not surprisingly, we don't have a lot of broad leafed evergreens, and mostly low growing. Pyrolas here are often in sites that can be exposed for extensive periods in cold to very cold weather, and even in early spring are often exposed to dry winds while the ground is still frozen. By real thaw they can look a little rough, but seem to make it! Similarly, Ledum here, which grow in low spots with much deeper snow than some of the Pyrolas have are generally shorter and more beat up looking here than in the foothills where they have ( I think) more snow...

[Bundraba!]

Cohan, Very interesting about your Pyrolas. I thought those liked to hide in woods, at least shaded deeply if not under some snow. I know of the Ledum and have three iterations growing here. Don Avery of Cady's Falls Nursery (Vermont) once said to me something to the effect of "I can't figure it out" with the Ledums; they seem tender in some nasty winters and quite solid in others! So far I've suffered with the same frustration regarding Ledums. Linnaea borealis will remain evergreen under snow, but, despite its broad northerly distribution burns badly if exposed. Mitchella repens and Gaultheria procumbens seem very resistant to freeze-drying though and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi seems tough, so there are a few that can handle it. Of these Mitchella is seemingly the only one that remains bright green. Nice things like Rhododendron; Phyllodoce; Erica; and I suspect Calluna (if it ever will grow here, maybe I can see for real!) are not happy about dry cold and sun as you suggest from findings in your own climate.

[Hoy]

Some Pyrolas are alpine plants here growing in the belt of shrubs above the subalpine forests. They tolerate a lot of freezing although they usually are snowcovered from December. This goes for Linnea too. Ledum is growing in the coldest inland parts of Norway. I have never seen it in winter but assume they usually are snowcovered at least most winters. Phyllodoce is an alpine plant and stays green throughout the winter but grows under stable snow. Calluna and Arctostaphylos do best on windswept hills and ridges with little or no snow in winter although the tips of the branches of the heather get burnt.
Mitchelia and Gaulteria are foreign