Hardiness of plants

[PLUMPUDDING]

I've just had a wander round the garden now the snow has almost gone and am amazed how resilient almost everything is even though its been under so much snow and frozen solid for about a month.

Some of the alpines are actually still flowering so it obviously suits them.
The viburnums, violas and some polyanthus are also still flowering.
The Crimson flowered broad beans which I sowed even though they aren't supposed to be particularly tough are all OK, as are the Jaune de Poitou leeks which are also said to be an autumn variety.
All the brassicas except the cabbages are fine too. I thought the red cabbages would be ok as they are quite solid, but on thawing out they've collapsed in a smelly heap.

The spring onions, chinese greens and swiss chard in the greenhouse also look fine now they've thawed out and most of the plants in the small well insulated end of the greenhouse have survived too - even the lemon grass, although the tips of some of the leaves look a bit withered.

So I'm happy again and am now going out for a bit of gardening therapy - pruning the grape vines and chopping a couple of branches of a silver birch and the quince tree.

[Primrose]

Just having the temperature rise a little after the minus zero temperatures of the past week makes the air feel almost balmy and spring-like by comparison, doesn't it?

Now the week long blanket of snow has melted I'm amazed to find that underneath it, one of my winter heathers has burst out into bloom, and one of my much loved Daphne shrubs has developed buds which won't be too long before they burst into flower. I too am amazed at what's been happening under the snow while I've been shut indoors wrapped up in my thermals.

And in the vegetable patch, my leeks, Swiss chard, celeriac and Cavalo Nero all look in reasonable shape - or at least mostly still edible. If only this grey dank mist would disappear and a streak of shineshine break through the cloud, my delight would be complete.

[Monika]

We did a similar tour of the garden and allotment this morning: some parts are still under snow and the ground is still mostly frozen hard (even the pots in the greenhouse are only just softening this evening), but most things seem to have survived - the leeks Musseburgh,, sprouts Cascade, Russian kale, dwarf curly kale and Nero di Toscana. The purple sprouting broccoli and spring cabbage don't look very happy and may have mostly gone over .

Wallflowers, pansies, violas, polyanthus and spring daisies look a bit limp but should be ok, I think. And I am hoping that the many bulbs in pots (crocus, spring flowering iris, scilla, tulips, narcissus, hyacinths) will recover. Many are showing tips, but the pots are still quite hard.

Clearer and brighter weather forecast for the weekend!

[Johnboy]

Hi Plumpudding,
What happened to your Red Cabbage is likely to happen to any of the large headed cabbages.
Yesterday morning a commercial organic grower was saying that he has lost Cauliflowers and Romanesco and Cabbages and Brussels Sprouts could go the same way becuase they look fine from the outside is no indication because the heart begins to rot when the temperature get below 10C. I have not ventured out since before the very bad weather but I am told that my crops look fine but I wonder if I am going to find them the same as yours as we were almost -20C at the coldest -3.6F.
I am confined to the house for a while so I suppose I will have to just wonder until I can get out again.
JB.

[oldherbaceous]

Whilst driving to Kings Lynn yesterday, we drove between fields of cauliflowers, the stench of rotting plants was very strong indeed.

I noticed either deer or rabbits have done a lot of damage to the bark of my new orchard, stripping one apple tree totaly of bark up to 2 feet from the ground. I should think i will lose this one but, i hope the others will be fine.
I have now protected them all, a little late i know.

Hope you are soon out and about again, Johnboy.

[Primrose]

Johnboy - hope you'll soon be able to venture outside again. Am sure an active person like you must find it very frustrating being confined to barracks, especially on days when the sun actually manages to peek through the clouds - not that we've seen many days like that recently. Still, I suppose if one has to stay indoors, this time of year is probably the best time to pick.