Topic: I'm not going out in this!

[john_miller]

Coldest day of the year here today, -26C this morning, finishing off the coldest week of the season. Should be with you in a week, possibly following some of the snow we got these past few days (Boston, Massachusetts, got more snow this week than in any single month since records began).
With February just around the corner a return to seasonal norms is forecast for us- it's going to get warmer!

[Mimi]

Dont mind how cold it gets John, just as long as it stays DRY. ;D

[loz]

Too late

Its sooooooooo wet here in south lincs, my autumn onions are underwater, my newly planted hedge is swimming and the chickens are covered in mud.  :o

I'm staying in till May

(yeah right, until I get up tomorrow morning and start thinking about what I can be getting on with.........
Sowing toms perhaps

Loz

[Mimi]

We have had so much rain here in North Wales that I am seriously thinking of gardening in a wet suit.  Luckily the garden at home is very sandy and drains fairly quickly but the allotment..................forget it.....its a swamp.  :'(  And to think I was going to add seaweed to retain moisture HA  :-\

[Roy Bham UK]

Coldest day of the year here today, -26C this morning, finishing off the coldest week of the season. Should be with you in a week, possibly following some of the snow we got these past few days (Boston, Massachusetts, got more snow this week than in any single month since records began).
With February just around the corner a return to seasonal norms is forecast for us- it's going to get warmer!

Brrrr John I can’t imagine -26°C I don’t want to feel it either how do you cope? Good house insulation is a must I would imagine and several layers of clothing?
Minus 14°C was the worst we had about 4 years ago in the Midlands (although that was on the outskirts) but very cold nevertheless.
Keep well wrapped up. :o


Roy

[john_miller]

Good house insulation is a must I would imagine

In a house over 100 years old- I can but dream. Hoping to move this year though!

and several layers of clothing?

I've got that covered at least. Plus a few blankets.

Was warmer this morning though, -22C. Wall to wall sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. But I'm not risking my 'Bulgaria' palm outside!

[Roy Bham UK]

John, it looks like you have a tough hardy palm there, Trachycarpus
fortunei Bulgaria some withstanding temperatures down to -28°C without protection. I have the more tender variety that will take temps down to -12°C unprotected, dead easy to grow from seed too.

Here’s a couple of interesting sites at your disposal.

http://www.polarpalm.net/

http://crdb.net/cgi-bin/crdb/crdbstat.cgi?degrees=C&DataBank=Palm&genus=Trachycarpus&species=fortunei

[john_miller]

Thanks Roy. Interesting stuff. I have seen temperatures down to -36C here (many years ago now- presumably thanks to global warming) so it would still be a risk to put it outside. Your references have set me thinking that when this palm gets too big for it's pot I will see if the Smith College Botanical Garden in Northampton, Massachusetts would like it. Even though it is only 100 km South of me they do have a passionflower that comes back every year, due to fortuitous planting, and may be able to perennate this plant outside too.

[Multiveg]

My mother near Spalding said it was horrible weather there last night - was going to go there after potato day, but then it would be a long drive back to north Wales the following day.

Caernarfon is a strange place for weather. A mile or two up the road could be snowed under, but there would be no sign of snow in the town itself. However, we did have snow when the weather was coming from a particular direction (north -I think - there was snow on the beaches).

I recall something one of the Welsh language tutors said - he was living in Quebec and said something about the cold, snow and wind - you could see people leaning into the wind, but when there was no wind- they were still leaning into it!). He also said that he went out without adequate layering one day in minus somethingorother temperature - I guess you need your thermals on!

Was then thinking of a holiday brochure I saw for Norway - there was a picture of bikini-clad women on skis on snow.