What is everyone planning to do with regards to this frost that's coming? My main concern is my magnolia which is in flower. Shall I cover or just leave nature to do its thing? What's everyone else doing?
We've had frosts consistently over the last fortnight. There's plenty of stuff in flower, including Magnolias, because it's been much milder than usual. Nothing is affected. Nor is any of the new, soft growth on shrubs etc, and it's been minus three at times. I do nothing, and never would. That's gardening. Stuff happens. No point in getting worried about it.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I agree, you just have to let things take their course with things in the garden. Plants in coldframes etc are different, you can cover with fleece . I remember many years ago covering my clematis Montana with old net curtains as it was in full flower and a cold snap was forecast. As it was against a South facing wall, very little damage was done anyway, but l wouldn't bother doing it again. I would take a load of photos of your Magnolia so that you can remember how lovely it is, and then wait to see what Nature does next
I've been cutting off the bottom 3 inches from empty 4 pint plastic cartons of milk; using them to germinate seeds. The top 8 or so inches of the carton I've saved to pop over plants as an emergency type cloche. The only plants I'm concerned about are a dozen sweet peas I've planted out, so they'll cop for a 'top hat'. The rest of the seedlings are under a cloche on raised bed which will probably get covered by a bundle of dog towels.
Blossom on fruit trees hasn't really developed yet, just hoping (like others) the blossom doesn't burst forth in all its glory over the cold snap.
Like most people I let things take their chances. We've had early morning frosts fairly often recently and the Magnolia stellata is flowering anyway. The magnolia and the camellia are in a west-facing border which helps because they don't get the early morning sun on top of frost.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I lost all my fruit last years thanks to frost. I hope it won't happen again. The peaches, cherries and pears are in blossom and the apples will be soon. We have snow forecast for Dordogne on Friday.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
A slight off topic moment, but all your garden faffage trying to prevent the inevitable reminds me of a story my partner tells about her father, Neville. Nev was an engineer and inventor (and in fact looked like a cross between Prof Branestawm and Prof Calculus from Tintin). He'd been moaning that wasps were attacking the fruit on his pear tree, and by the time they got back off holiday every year it was all ruined. So, after some observation, he decided they were climbing down the stem to attack the pears. A few nights of intense activity in his garage and he emerged with little hats, like those bucket things to stop dogs chewing their paws, which he put on all the pears! They got back off holiday to find all the pears lying on the ground, rotting. Unfortunately they'd had a storm while they were away and the little pear cones of shame had apparently made them highly unstable in the wind 🙂
When you have minus 4 or 5 for the same number of days that is when long term damage is done and some plants can die. I remember a winter when all the Ceonothus and Phormiums were hit hard. The Phormiums regrew from the base but most of the Ceonothus died. It did seem like something was missing the following spring. Blue flowers against a blue sky always look amazing .I also recall chunks falling off old terracotta pots in a lot of the gardens where I worked. It was an opportunity to rethink, move on and try something new which is always exciting.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Plants can sometimes come through cold spells remarkably well. After the winter of (I think) 2009/10 when we had temperatures below zero for pretty much the whole of December and in minus double figures overnight, I expected to have lost lots of things, but even Salvia patens came back the following spring (albeit a bit late). I think it helped that the cold spell started with a heavy snowfall that winter, which insulates the ground underneath.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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I do nothing, and never would.
That's gardening. Stuff happens. No point in getting worried about it.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I remember many years ago covering my clematis Montana with old net curtains as it was in full flower and a cold snap was forecast. As it was against a South facing wall, very little damage was done anyway, but l wouldn't bother doing it again.
I would take a load of photos of your Magnolia so that you can remember how lovely it is, and then wait to see what Nature does next
Blossom on fruit trees hasn't really developed yet, just hoping (like others) the blossom doesn't burst forth in all its glory over the cold snap.
Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
Nev was an engineer and inventor (and in fact looked like a cross between Prof Branestawm and Prof Calculus from Tintin). He'd been moaning that wasps were attacking the fruit on his pear tree, and by the time they got back off holiday every year it was all ruined.
So, after some observation, he decided they were climbing down the stem to attack the pears.
A few nights of intense activity in his garage and he emerged with little hats, like those bucket things to stop dogs chewing their paws, which he put on all the pears!
They got back off holiday to find all the pears lying on the ground, rotting. Unfortunately they'd had a storm while they were away and the little pear cones of shame had apparently made them highly unstable in the wind 🙂