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

I am, @KT53, trust me I am! One of the many reasons that we moved was because the playing field behind our UK garden had 370 houses built on it. Most of the existing dwellings affected were bungalows occupied by elderly people, and the gardens became smaller as they progressed around the crescent. With breath-taking insensitivity, the new, 3 storey houses were built right up to the boundaries, towering over the old folks' gardens and bungalows. Most had lived there a very long time, but they moved or died as a result. I have since heard that vast swathes of what was 'green belt' land between the various towns is now covered in bricks and mortar. Still, as the developers told us at the planning enquiry, 'People don't want gardens nowadays'

 

Our previous house had lovely views out across to the Cotswold escarpment. Then they announced the building of several hundred new homes, a large supermarket, community centre etc. We were planning to move anyway and that just brought the move forward. We moved to an older house with a biggish garden in a location where all the building had been completed decades before. They'd have to bulldoze all the existing houses if they want to build new. Unfortunately I wouldn't put that past them.

 

@noisette47

There! Arrived this morning. Many thanks again.

Horticultural fleece and below that - just for your perusal - a golden one:

 

Very clever I do hope your purchase does the trick. There should be enough for at least a double layer?

 

Herewith double-layered protection!

You have to admit, they look a bit as though either, jellyfishes have risen from the ground, or ethereal UFOs have descended from the skies. Either way, look what they have done to my grass!

Many thanks, though, for your protective advice! The frost is biting hard, as I write …

 

Let's hope it doesn't get windy! I feel awfully responsible for them, now It's forecast to get down to -5C here over the weekend

 

-5C!
How far South does one have to go?! It's quite warm here, then, at -1C! !!

As you see, the Martian at the end there is a bit deflated today, finding it difficult to keep its spirits up (“Que suis-je allé faire dans cette galère?”, it says).

Don’t feel responsible, it would be worse without it.

Mrs Lao is working out the minutiae of a trip to Morocco, but that’s not going to happen until early February. Still, next week: +10C apparently.

How are your Zantedeschia, Iris ensata, and Houttuynia cordata 'Chameleon' doing in all this?

 

Here it's about 7°C so Westward Ho! good people.

 

It's alright for some! You could even take your hat off.

 

Couldn't do that; I'd be naked!

 

and, especially:

 

Fresh snow today, another 2 inches. Have plenty to do inside. Getting taxes ready for accountant to name one thing. Packing for Key West, Florida number 2.

 

Is that day or night, @NigelJ? It makes a big difference being in an urban situation. @LawnAndOrder Should think the Zantedeschia and Houttynia leaves are mush but they'll bounce back. I didn't get around to tidying much last autumn so more protection for crowns of plants. I'd normally put some bits of Water Hyacinth (Eichornia) in a bucket of water in the veranda over winter but didn't get round to that either. Would hate to lose that as it's not for sale any longer.

 

Breaking news....An unprecedented outbreak of smileyitis has been identified in London!

 

Yes, I'm missing being outside. The weather's been bad since the last week of November and I'm going stir crazy! Having a 'new to me' garden, you think the weather would have been kind and allowed me out to play. 2 1/2 weeks of snow that hasn't thawed isn't helping. The temperature was -7C/19F last night and -5C/23F today.