2023

[charlie]

How is your year going? Here the soft ground has been chewed up by the dog racing around but just when I thought he had also taking to digging holes I realised that we have another Mole, hopefully I can get rid of it in a few days!

Part way through the cutting back and shredding I had just reached that part of the garden where our outside loo is and thought I would give the Hydrangea seemannii a bit of a trim only to find it had got itself under the back slates and was having a lovely time!

And of course thinking I had got away without much damage during the cold snap proved to be a bit premature, several things have been going a suspicious shade of brown. But I noticed yesterday working in the drizzle that it stays light until nearly 5pm so not all bad :)

[Paul S]

It seems every time I venture outside, which tbf isn't that much at the moment, I see more casualties. Definitely a steep learning curve for this last cold spell. Many things I assumed were bullet proof are sitting there looking very sad indeed.

I have a good plan for this coming week - flying off to Gran Canaria tomorrow. It's only been booked for 3 years - so not exactly last minute :lol: No doubt a few more casualties will make themselves known by the time I return :D

[AndyC]

I'm finding quite a few casualties as well. Only recorded down to -3C here but somethings I ddn't protect have gone and also some that I did try and protect.
Definitely gone and not unexpeceted are the Rojasianthe superba, Podocaenium eminems, Montanoa bipinnatifida, Aloe ciliaris and Aeonium 'Cornish Tribute', the latter two had a cloche over them but still perished. Leonotis leonurus looks dead but may recover. Pittosporum undulatum looked fine for a few days after the cold spell but then dumped all its leaves. Cordyline obtecta 'Superstar', despite being next to the south west wall of the house, has been badly damaged but will probably survive, thankfully its cousin Cordyline indivisa which is in the coldeste part of the garden but looks fine.
With all the Dahlias, Cannas and Hedychium is full growth just before the cold spell I now have a massive pile of rotting vegetation at the bottom of the garden.
Having had my moan about the effects the cold weather last month had on my garden i think I prefer it to all this rain we are now having. Even when I can get out there the ground is too waterlogged to work on. Do you need anyone to carry your bags Paul?

[Chad]

Andy,

The Podocaenium eminems and Montanoa bipinnatifida both stand a good chance of coming back from the root. Don't dig them up yet!

I've lost a lot of top growth, even in the tunnel, but already things are trying to regrow.

I have a new leaf on Musa yunnanensis var. yongpingensis just waiting for the next frost to brown that off too.

Chad

[AndyC]

I have left them both in the past with no success, Even after the previous winter which was very mild they didn't return. I have rooted cuttings of both so I'm not too upset about losing them.
The Sonchus fruiticosus and Smallanthus maculatus stumps have been left alone as I'm a bit more hopeful about them returning in the spring.

[John P]

Feeling cold drab and miserable here in Tring Hertfordshire. 3 foreign holidays booked to lift the gloom. Garden wise a number of my younger rarer palms are fried and possibly more damage to look forward to this week. :roll:

John

[charlie]

Woke up this morning planning on finishing a bit of cement work that has been dragging on because of the constant rain only to find we have snow on the ground! so far the only obvious casualties are a large shrub of Rosemary 'Severn Seas' and Hibbertia aspera, I think the Hibbertia will try again and I am not too sad about the Rosemary as it was taking more space than I wanted any way.

Oh and I now have at least two moles operating in different parts of the garden, I think these are a new species of "Ninja" mole as not only are they managing to avoid my mole trap (I have ordered more!) but have had to climb a considerable height to get into the garden in the first place

[AndyC]

Try the Jasper Carrot method of getting rid of moles, "blow it's bloody heady off" :)

[charlie]

For the first time in a while it was nice enough to sit out in the conservatory yesterday, apart from a slight panic when the water supply appeared to have stopped working (I had forgotten I had turned it of in the house in case of freezes!) and it could do with a sweep. It was very pleasant.

Not much in flower yet apart from Pelargoniums (which never seem to stop)

Hardenbergia has never been a huge success here outside although I know it does very well nearer the coast

hardenbergia violacea by charliepridham, on Flickr

hardenbergia violacea 2 by charliepridham, on Flickr

the Canarina flowered before Christmas but seemed to have stopped but is now covered in buds again, first flower out

canarina canariensis by charliepridham, on Flickr

[Paul S]

Nice. Got back from Gran Canaria last night and it was -2C at Stansted airport - something of a shock :shock: The scenery is stunning there, as good as anywhere I have ever been.
Saw the canarina in flower in several places along a lovely track through a barranco that we walked through. Also Dracunculus canariensis growing in damp shade - I'd never have picked that as the habitat, given that D. vulgaris is a dry, sunny thing.

Edit, here is the pic.