Thank you for all the advice and I think it will be mulch for me...for the plants!
The man who claims to predict the weather so far in advance is David King and the article was in the 30th August edition of The Lady but I can see the sense in snow not being the problem as the snow will keep the plants snug and warm.
Even as a new gardener I can see the logic of not worrying about weaklings and being all Malthus about it. I will dispose of anything that dies and duplicate what lives!
One last quetion on wintering down my garden.. Just what part of the pant is the crown? I would have thought it would be the top but my tiny hydrangea has finally got its finger out and has crept about 45 cms up the fence so I dont want to cut that down and cover it with mulch..do I? Other plants are roses, dogwood, clematis, hypericum, kew and, of course, ericas.
Climbing hydrangea is perfectly hardy, it does not need protection. I think you are thinking of doing stuff that is not necessary. Roses, etc are not cut down and covered with mulch. With most plants that are potentially tender, covering around the roots is enough if that is what you want to do.
If the winter is particularly harsh you might lose the odd plant or two but most of them will sail through. Just don't buy too many tender plants.
With the greatest of respect to all concerned, most of what he says is complete myth, happenstance, coincidence and balderdash in my humble opinion.
And as for his assertion that this year the oak trees have provided acorns to feed the robins European robins are mainly insectiverous although they do eat small seeds. I'm not aware of them eating acorns - I'd have thought acorns are much too big for them.
Last winter was one of the hardest for many years and many small birds (and large ones too, such as barn owls) were lost, and yet Mr King says that last year 'Nature decided' that the robins didn't need the acorns I'm sorry but that's complete poppycock.
He may be confused - American robins, a different species to ours, eat acorns - perhaps he's prophesying the weather for the USA?
I hope he didn't use similar techniques when trying to solve crimes, rather than relying on established scientific and forensic methods.
As for the plants mentioned above, none of those need special treatment to see them through any British winter, so just give the soil around them a good mulching to enrich the soil and improve it's structure and water retentiion. The plants will be fine.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The crown of the plant is the part just under the soil from which perennials produce new shoots each year. Shrubs and climbers don't have such a crown but still like to have a mulch to improve the soil.
Have to agree about David King and anyone being able to predict weather 6 months ahead. However, given who is the editor of the Lady I don't expect much better.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
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Thank you for all the advice and I think it will be mulch for me...for the plants!
The man who claims to predict the weather so far in advance is David King and the article was in the 30th August edition of The Lady but I can see the sense in snow not being the problem as the snow will keep the plants snug and warm.
Even as a new gardener I can see the logic of not worrying about weaklings and being all Malthus about it. I will dispose of anything that dies and duplicate what lives!
One last quetion on wintering down my garden.. Just what part of the pant is the crown? I would have thought it would be the top but my tiny hydrangea has finally got its finger out and has crept about 45 cms up the fence so I dont want to cut that down and cover it with mulch..do I? Other plants are roses, dogwood, clematis, hypericum, kew and, of course, ericas.
Climbing hydrangea is perfectly hardy, it does not need protection. I think you are thinking of doing stuff that is not necessary. Roses, etc are not cut down and covered with mulch. With most plants that are potentially tender, covering around the roots is enough if that is what you want to do.
If the winter is particularly harsh you might lose the odd plant or two but most of them will sail through. Just don't buy too many tender plants.
http://www.lady.co.uk/people/features/2874-dave-s-nose-vs-the-met-office
With the greatest of respect to all concerned, most of what he says is complete myth, happenstance, coincidence and balderdash in my humble opinion.
And as for his assertion that this year the oak trees have provided acorns to feed the robins
European robins are mainly insectiverous although they do eat small seeds. I'm not aware of them eating acorns - I'd have thought acorns are much too big for them.
Last winter was one of the hardest for many years and many small birds (and large ones too, such as barn owls) were lost, and yet Mr King says that last year 'Nature decided' that the robins didn't need the acorns
I'm sorry but that's complete poppycock. 
He may be confused - American robins, a different species to ours, eat acorns - perhaps he's prophesying the weather for the USA?
I hope he didn't use similar techniques when trying to solve crimes, rather than relying on established scientific and forensic methods.
As for the plants mentioned above, none of those need special treatment to see them through any British winter, so just give the soil around them a good mulching to enrich the soil and improve it's structure and water retentiion. The plants will be fine.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The crown of the plant is the part just under the soil from which perennials produce new shoots each year. Shrubs and climbers don't have such a crown but still like to have a mulch to improve the soil.
Have to agree about David King and anyone being able to predict weather 6 months ahead. However, given who is the editor of the Lady I don't expect much better.
Oh I say! It's all going on in The Lady isn't it? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154002/Male-editor-The-Lady-moved-family-home-affair-assistant.html
Think I'd better stick to Gardener's World - far more calming and reliable
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Well, I'm clearly behind the times as I thought it was the idiot Johnson woman.
Actually I had a 5 week trial of The Lady but I have decided not to subscribe to it. Obelixx I will have to check up on who the editor is.
I will put what mulch I have got in the shed around my plants and stop worrying.
I am on a steep learning curve with gardening. Many thanks for your help.
You're welcome Erica
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.