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A point to ponder on?

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Hugh_Jones:
It all depends on what you call a bad frost. In fact the actual night temperature here (in the north midlands) was only a little below freezing - but a bit of white on the ground and everybody panics. 30-40 years ago such temperatures were quite common here well into March.

Last week I laid out some fleece over the few potatoes I planted, and I checked it this morning.  Although the soil all around it had a definite crust, the soil under the fleece showed no signs of frost, and I`m quite confident that the potatoes I have under it will emerge unscathed.

John, I accept your correction on semantics - it was careless of me, but then I`ve always preferred invocation to provocation - it goes with my gentle nature.  However, the fact remains, and I think almost everyone on these boards who is old enough to remember will agree, that spring does come to this island of ours somewhat earlier now than it did 35 years ago - the plants start to grow earlier, the migrant birds arrive earlier, and the native birds nest earlier, and clearly the `volunteer`potatoes I raked out had thought it was time to get going.  Maybe January is a mite too early yet, but February, well, why not?. Anyway, some of mine have gone in, so I`ll see what happens.

john_miller:
 With my less than perfect English I am the last person to give courses in semantics. My comment was merely a respectful attempt to define a potential difference in philosophies between us, hence my allusion to Darwin.

Garden Manager:
Bad frosts - hmmm. Well quite bad compared to what we have had so far this winter down here, but i suppose not reall as bad as some.

I dont think the night time temperatures are getting below -3 or -4, but it is the compound effect, ie frost on top of frost with temperatures not getting very high during the day to warm the ground up.

That said the soil does thaw out enough to be workable by late morning (at least in the veg plot which gets the sun first this time of year).

This mornings was pehaps one of the worst, a real 'whitener' the back lawn was white not green.

Mrs Ava:
I have to agree Richard  :o  this mornings frost was a real hard one.  Through all of the snow we have had in Essex - woken up to it many mornings, and all the mornings I have had to chizel ice off the car windscreen, I have only lost one echium pinatta.  Now this morning, the last 6 were looking a little worse for wear.  I hope they pull through as I am looking forward to towering spires of spikey triffidness.

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