Most of us were probably keener to stay warm indoors during the snow than venture outside to clear snow from plants.
Has the snow been a good or bad thing for our gardens? Well, probably a bit of both, but I do live in hope that the cold weather has helped kill off a few garden pests. We've all had our fair share of snow over the past couple of weeks, with varying degrees of frosty weather in between. I like to think a deep carpet of snow, although clearly at zero degrees or less, is actually insulating plants below from even colder air temperatures above. Hopefully no harm will come to the perennials and bulbs hidden out of sight.
Heavy snow can weigh down branches, especially on evergreens and conifers, and even break or distort them if it isn't brushed away. Most of us were probably keener to stay warm indoors during the snow than venture outside to clear snow from plants. Clearing it from the car and drive was hard enough!
Freezing and thawing does play a part in breaking down heavy clay soils. This is one reason why it's recommended to roughly dig over areas in autumn and leave the surface with big clods for the weather to work on over winter. I'm sure it helps to let the frost penetrate your soil where you can.
I have been worrying about the birds. My bird bath was covered by a 15cm deep layer of snow when I woke up on Thursday morning, so it was important to get out with a kettle of boiling water to melt the snow and give birds some fresh water to drink. Peanut and seed feeders have been replenished, too, so food and water are available to all my regular feathered friends.
Cold weather tests the hardiness of plants to the limit, and we'll have to wait until spring to see whether or not some have succumbed to the cold and died while others have shrugged it off. Last winter I manoeuvred a very large pot of oleander from the patio back into the greenhouse for winter, but this year I left it out as an experiment to see just how hardy this Mediterranean favourite really is. Time will tell!
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