How much will you miss outdoor gardening in the next few months?

Thank you for asking. Having been brought up under the respective latitudes of 43.70 (far too hot in summer) and 48.80 (far too cold in winter), you could say that, meteorologically speaking, I was exposed to the worst of both worlds; I rather empathise with Peter O’Toole’s cri du coeur “I just hate weather!”. I believe Paradise was lost when the once temperate climate which allegedly graced Eden went up the spout (if and when Theia hit – this belief is the only sense in which I might be considered a Theiaist).

Neither of us is fond of the cold; other than general preparation and regular turning over and composting Mrs Lao’s vegetable patch, there’s not all that much gardening I relish in Winter (in fact, we’re off tomorrow to 37.30 of latitude where we are promised temperatures between 19 and 21c. What we very much enjoy, however, is the illuminated view of our garden at night through a large cinema-format (16 X 9) glazed door - the width of our conservatory - which, in summer, completely disappears by sliding across the back elevation of the kitchen, when the garden becomes an integral part of the house (I’ve taken a few pics (below) this evening just before tonight’s first frost possibly obliterates the last touches of summer). When lit, the garden becomes quite magical and evokes – together with the inside frieze – some of the colours of ‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’ (our garden, of course, is without all the degeneracy of Bosch’s conjuration (we are more into conjugation); we both sit before it, drinking the juice I nightly press, prior to supper, from four fresh oranges (yes, Hieronymus again – for those who dare read Henry Miller).












Give me a lever and a fixed point and I shall move the world

 

That's beautiful! I particularly like the way the green scum on the pond glows in the moonlight

 

@redstar - according to Google your plant zone gets down to -30f which is -34c. You're a hardier person than me!
@LawnAndOrder please don't tell us about going to lovely warm places - it isn't comely to gloat. (Your garden looks wonderful at night - mine is just a field of trip hazards)

 

True if you are coming this way! Boa viagem.

 

This is a really good point, I agree. Sometimes it's just being outside, in the comfort of the warmth, that I'll miss too.

 

I don't miss it as it never stops...bit of tittivating here and there and if the weather stops me I'll grow things indoors ...such as pea shoots ,lettuce,cress anything I can make grow...

 

You never lived until you walked bare foot on snow, not long, couple minutes. a pile of snow on the deck is awesome to chill down something your cooking to get ready for the next step.

 

@redstar Barefoot?

 

My son lives in the foothills of the Rockies, just outside Calgary and he has already started skiing. They only get about 2 months of gardening each year despite living in a sheltered river valley so there are very few gardens as we know them here in the UK. Interestingly, tulips and orchids grow wild in Spring and raspberries enjoy their conditions as well. My grand daughter and grand son have both been in Uni. on Vancouver Island which seems like the tropics to my son. The wind chill factor did drop to -40 one year when I was visiting. A bit chilly!
It has been sleeting here with a very cold North wind so indoor activities as opposed to outdoors.

 

That reminds me of my daughter in law storing her Christmas Eggnog outside in a pile of snow on the decking to save space in her freezer! It saves on making ice cubes as well!

 

I always chill down my pan of the cooked celery and onion in the snow on the deck before continuing with the stuffing for the turkey.

 

We often used to put stuff outside the kitchen in cold weather, especially if there wasn't room in the fridge - mainly at Christmas etc if guests were coming.
I do that with home made veg soup @redstar - when I need it to cool down quickly so that it can go in the fridge or freezer. Usually just outside the back door. I just have to be sure I don't put out anything that may attract birds or anything else that might fancy a meal!

 

I won't miss gardening at all. I've got too many other hobbies and DIY to keep me busy until Spring. The long dark nights means it's astronomy season, so I'll still be out in the garden, just not gardening. Here's an example of Jupiter showing how it changed over four years.

 

My family have to be careful what they put outside as their area is regularly visited by cougars, bears, wild goats and elk etc. They have bear proof bins at the end of each cul de sac, (Nanny proof as well!) for household rubbish. You have to walk up a few narrow steps to reach the lids of the large bins, curl your fingers under the catch and press to open them.Dogs have to be kept on leash except in designated dog walking areas. Cats have to be kept indoors at all times. On the spot fines of $75.00 for failure, all to protect the wild life as well as discourage it from scavenging for easy pickings food supplies in residential areas.
I never heard of anything helping itself to Eggnog yet.

 

growing up in OHIO, USA, around mid November it can snow, and get really cold. lived in a big Victorian farmhouse, it had a unheated back porch. after the Thanksgiving feast the big roaster with the turkey would go out on a table and keep very well. the roaster did have a lid on it. One winter in Ohio it got down to minus 15.