In article ,
Janet Baraclough.. wrote:

Interestingly, I didn't really notice light intensity differences when
I went from a Sydney summer to a Moscow winter for 6 weeks.

Must have been the snow reflection.

We have (some) clear blue sky, sunny winter days here too. Because of
the latitude our winter sun's daily arc is lower in the sky than places
nearer the equator, and it's shining at a more oblique angle, through
more atmosphere.

Ditto for Sydney as it's in the Temperate Zone.

Valleys might be in shadow for six months of the year, because the
surrounding hills block the low sun, and it never gets high enough in
the sky to shine over them. Lots of hillside or valley houses and
gardens in Scotland get zero sunlight from October till March.

Not such a problem in Moscow, as it's basically flat. What's the native
vegetation like in places that receive so little direct sunlight?

What are you planting now?

It's autumn here, time for planting daffodil bulbs. I've got a load of

Bet you don't have to put them in the fridge for 6 weeks before planting, as
we do!

herbaceous stuff and shrubs in pots which I want to get planted in the
garden before winter, and I'm about to sow some freshly harvested seeds
(in pots in a cold frame) which won't germinate until next year. The veg
garden is winding down, cauliflowers finished last week, potatoes all
lifted and stored, onions still waiting, beans and courgettes still
producing, leeks looking good.

In autumn, I *plant* spuds, caulis, onions and leeks!!! Is your vegie garden
bare of anything but perennials in midwinter?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Life is like a cigarette -- smoke it to the butt." -- Harvie Krumpet