-32C on the 6th of Jan 2009. Our water and leccy were OK so no bovver but there was no snow to insulate plants. We carried on with -25C for a few days and then it warmed up to -15C for a couple of weeks.
I lost loads. Every single evergreen viburnum, the eleagnus, choisya ternata, mahonia, several roses, loads of clems, all but one stem of Kiftsgate which took years to recover, one of the damsons, my rosa rugosa hedge and so on and so forth.
Not recommended.
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)."
-32C sounds horrendous obelixx, I don't think I could cope with that, but then I suppose if the temperature drops gradually, you adjust to it but even so, if you lived in an isolated area it must have been dreadful. Anything under 10 C feels cold to me - although I know it is good for killing winter bugs if the weather drops lower for a short time. You must have been devastated to see your plants and all your hard work ravaged by the cold.
This was an overnight shocker with no warning. I knew we were in trouble when I got home from dance class at 10:30pm and the car registered -25C on the sheltered south side of the house but never imagined it would get that cold. It killed my garden weather station too.
My garden is quite exposed - no shelter from neighbours as it's farmland all round and we're in a dip that collects frost. There's an area of our local town with a horticultural college and garden that calls itself La Sibérie - with good reason - although recent winters have been mild and no worse than -8C. We can cope with that quite easily.
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)."
Brrrr! Obelixx, that sounds like northern Norway. I don't know how people manage with those temps. The loss of so many plants must have been devastating.
Sorry forgot to comment about ski fields. I think we are the same, some years are better than others, but Thredbo and Perisher are the main resorts in NSW. Victoria does better I think
we can always tell if there is a good season because our local town becomes a bit of a traffic nightmare with people flocking up there to see and experience snow . Yesterday we were in our usual coffee stop when a group of very noisy people arrived - I think there 6 adults and about 12 children and I was glad to get outside. My ears were ringing. The children were taking tubes of sugar and "drinking" them and one little boy took a ball that was on display and started bouncing it all over the arcade.
It was unusual and the devastation only became apparent later in spring as things didn't grow so I just got on with it. A few years ago I came home form the Chelsea Flower Show to find the garden had been hit by a hailstone tornado which was far more shocking.
Towards the end of May the destruction is immediate and obvious and I felt paralysed for a week before I got out and started pruning out the damage. My rhubarb patch looked like it had been nuked, the hostas were pulverised, flowers and roses decapitated and I lost all my baby veggies. Everything except the veggies recovered tho some woody plants still bear the scars on their stems where the hailstones bashed them.
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)."
Yes, and it gets bubble wrapped for extra protection but it's small and I can't get the whole garden in. I use it to shelter treasures that need light. Others go in the barn or shed. Can't protect the entire garden tho it is better since I put up a strip of 1.25 metre high wind break fabric along the northern boundary fence a couple of years ago.
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)."
Although I didn't get a walk yesterday, this little wheatear sat on the fence beside my car for ages. Didn't want to disturb him by getting out, so it's a little blurry - taken through the windscreen
There was little wren gathering insects too, but I didn't want to open the window and chase him/her. Watched them both for ages, hoping the weather would improve and I could see more than just the fence and the farm building beyond....
Missed being on a hill so this is a reminder of a better day - part of the Ballachulish Horseshoe
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
-32C on the 6th of Jan 2009. Our water and leccy were OK so no bovver but there was no snow to insulate plants. We carried on with -25C for a few days and then it warmed up to -15C for a couple of weeks.
I lost loads. Every single evergreen viburnum, the eleagnus, choisya ternata, mahonia, several roses, loads of clems, all but one stem of Kiftsgate which took years to recover, one of the damsons, my rosa rugosa hedge and so on and so forth.
Not recommended.
-32C sounds horrendous obelixx, I don't think I could cope with that, but then I suppose if the temperature drops gradually, you adjust to it but even so, if you lived in an isolated area it must have been dreadful. Anything under 10 C feels cold to me - although I know it is good for killing winter bugs if the weather drops lower for a short time. You must have been devastated to see your plants and all your hard work ravaged by the cold.
This was an overnight shocker with no warning. I knew we were in trouble when I got home from dance class at 10:30pm and the car registered -25C on the sheltered south side of the house but never imagined it would get that cold. It killed my garden weather station too.
My garden is quite exposed - no shelter from neighbours as it's farmland all round and we're in a dip that collects frost. There's an area of our local town with a horticultural college and garden that calls itself La Sibérie - with good reason - although recent winters have been mild and no worse than -8C. We can cope with that quite easily.
Brrrr! Obelixx, that sounds like northern Norway. I don't know how people manage with those temps. The loss of so many plants must have been devastating.
Sorry forgot to comment about ski fields. I think we are the same, some years are better than others, but Thredbo and Perisher are the main resorts in NSW. Victoria does better I think
we can always tell if there is a good season because our local town becomes a bit of a traffic nightmare with people flocking up there to see and experience snow . Yesterday we were in our usual coffee stop when a group of very noisy people arrived - I think there 6 adults and about 12 children and I was glad to get outside. My ears were ringing. The children were taking tubes of sugar and "drinking" them and one little boy took a ball that was on display and started bouncing it all over the arcade.
It was unusual and the devastation only became apparent later in spring as things didn't grow so I just got on with it. A few years ago I came home form the Chelsea Flower Show to find the garden had been hit by a hailstone tornado which was far more shocking.
Towards the end of May the destruction is immediate and obvious and I felt paralysed for a week before I got out and started pruning out the damage. My rhubarb patch looked like it had been nuked, the hostas were pulverised, flowers and roses decapitated and I lost all my baby veggies. Everything except the veggies recovered tho some woody plants still bear the scars on their stems where the hailstones bashed them.
Do you have a GH, Obelixx? Mine is only about 1or 2 degrees warmer than outside, but at least the plants are protected from the worst weather.
Yes, and it gets bubble wrapped for extra protection but it's small and I can't get the whole garden in. I use it to shelter treasures that need light. Others go in the barn or shed. Can't protect the entire garden tho it is better since I put up a strip of 1.25 metre high wind break fabric along the northern boundary fence a couple of years ago.
Although I didn't get a walk yesterday, this little wheatear sat on the fence beside my car for ages. Didn't want to disturb him by getting out, so it's a little blurry - taken through the windscreen
There was little wren gathering insects too, but I didn't want to open the window and chase him/her. Watched them both for ages, hoping the weather would improve and I could see more than just the fence and the farm building beyond....
Missed being on a hill so this is a reminder of a better day - part of the Ballachulish Horseshoe
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...