tonight will be very cold

coldest I have had so far in cambridge this winter has been -8.3 degrees C which was last week

tonight, it will be much colder (I think) ..... no clouds ... it's just past 6pm and it is already -4 degrees C

I think many semi hardy plants/shrubs will be wiped out tonight and over the next few days

sad thing is you don't see it straight away .... in a month or 2, that is when you realise they got 'fried'

thats why i am very selective when it comes to planting palms and other exotics .... I have been very lucky with my choices (so far)

 

Yes *dim*, its going to be a cold one, not had lower than -3 up till now.

It was -3 when I got home from work tonight so its not looking good for anything slightly tender and unprotected.

As with most years, of the 366 days, there are only a handful of nights when certain marginally hardy plants cant survive in the UK.

Which is why I think winter protection is worthwhile with plants that are borderline.
If your not prepared to do a bit of protection, when needed, its best to stick with mostly bone hardy plants.

 

that's what I have been telling my clients ... they all love stuff such as tree ferns etc

I will plant them if they insist, but I know that when i am not here to tend to their gardens, they will not bother protecting them

so I try plant the hardier ones that can survive without protection

 

Yes *dim*, the tv gardening programmes have a lot to answer for.:D

 

Hi, this year i've moved all my not so hardy plants under my leylandii, so far so good, none have had any frost on them what so ever and all look happy.

 

We had a -9c last Friday, something I wasn't expecting here, last year's -5cs were bad enough, my Phoenix and Brahea both eventually died because of it.
The Acacias are both looking sad now so I am hoping we aren't going to see too many really cold nights.
If we do, I might have to rethink my planting strategy.

 

Forcast for down here is -8 to -10 with thermals on its going to be a cold night out and about wherever you are.
Need to get something warm inside before I go out to work.:yess:

 

Temperature has risen to -1.7c here now.

The cloud has rolled in.:D

 

Crazily enough it's pretty pleasant up here in Scotland. Enjoy our weather! I'm not in a rush to get it back...

 

One thing of interest.
My barometer is likely to burst if the pressure gets any higher.

Cant really remember it this high before.

 

My salvia's have already taken a knocking by the snow at the weekend. This will be the last straw I reckon :(

 

Pete, my barometer's very high too. It's 3C here at the moment.

 

Fife -4c barrometer 1038 millibar very fair ?

Jack McH