we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Sacha wrote:

we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.

Last night was the coldest night so far this month, but with the
overnight low of 6C there wasn't any frost. Lovely, still and
cloudless down here on the coast. I had a mooch about earlier on and
noticed that Veltheimia bracteata is already sending up its pokers.
Usually the flowers appear in late March, but it looks as though they
will be a good six weeks early this year. Finger crossed that the
slugs don't get to them.

On 14/1/07 10:55, in article
, "DavePoole Torquay"
wrote:

Sacha wrote:

we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.

Last night was the coldest night so far this month, but with the
overnight low of 6C there wasn't any frost. Lovely, still and
cloudless down here on the coast. I had a mooch about earlier on and
noticed that Veltheimia bracteata is already sending up its pokers.
Usually the flowers appear in late March, but it looks as though they
will be a good six weeks early this year. Finger crossed that the
slugs don't get to them.

Can't equal that but we've noticed that weeds are flourishing - Ray did a
huge clear out yesterday in our own parking area and round the square
fishpond. And the Thalictrum flavum glaucum is showing through by several
inches, as are the leaves of Allium Purple Globemaster.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for
a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/


Just a bit blustery here but Sun and about 44F. We have had three mild
frosts so far this winter,not sufficiently fierce to kill any leaves on a
Colocasia (fallax?) or Canna. The high winds we had were warm and we had 52F
for a few hours one night. The Akebia is not in flower but it is in full
leaf bud;-).
The decision to make now -is it worth waking Bananas,Gingers etc from
dormancy and taking the risk of knackering the lot.
Living in a Fool's Paradise?

On 14/1/07 11:35, in article , "Rupert (W.Yorkshire)"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for
a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/


Just a bit blustery here but Sun and about 44F. We have had three mild
frosts so far this winter,not sufficiently fierce to kill any leaves on a
Colocasia (fallax?) or Canna. The high winds we had were warm and we had 52F
for a few hours one night. The Akebia is not in flower but it is in full
leaf bud;-).

Just remember - nobody likes a smart**** ! ;-) I'm counting on ours
flowering at least 3 weeks early this year!

The decision to make now -is it worth waking Bananas,Gingers etc from
dormancy and taking the risk of knackering the lot.
Living in a Fool's Paradise?

Oooh - not yet, Rupert! You'll kick yourself if February turns into what
February so often does!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

"Sacha" wrote in message
...
On 14/1/07 11:35, in article , "Rupert
(W.Yorkshire)"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back
for
a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/


Just a bit blustery here but Sun and about 44F. We have had three mild
frosts so far this winter,not sufficiently fierce to kill any leaves on a
Colocasia (fallax?) or Canna. The high winds we had were warm and we had
52F
for a few hours one night. The Akebia is not in flower but it is in full
leaf bud;-).

Just remember - nobody likes a smart**** ! ;-) I'm counting on ours
flowering at least 3 weeks early this year!

The decision to make now -is it worth waking Bananas,Gingers etc from
dormancy and taking the risk of knackering the lot.
Living in a Fool's Paradise?

Oooh - not yet, Rupert! You'll kick yourself if February turns into what
February so often does!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Thanks for bringing me back to reality.. IIRC last year we had a miserable
late spring so perhaps it's best to wait. Some of the more exotic stuff
(for me) has hardly gone dormant and even some stored canna tubers are
starting to sprout. I know that further South (London area) some of the
exotic plant folk are reporting things growing that would have seemed
totally impossible in previous years.

On 14/1/07 12:33, in article , "Rupert (W.Yorkshire)"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
...
snip

The decision to make now -is it worth waking Bananas,Gingers etc from
dormancy and taking the risk of knackering the lot.
Living in a Fool's Paradise?

Oooh - not yet, Rupert! You'll kick yourself if February turns into what.
February so often does!

Thanks for bringing me back to reality.. IIRC last year we had a miserable
late spring so perhaps it's best to wait. Some of the more exotic stuff
(for me) has hardly gone dormant and even some stored canna tubers are
starting to sprout. I know that further South (London area) some of the
exotic plant folk are reporting things growing that would have seemed
totally impossible in previous years.


Indeed. But there's still time for trouble at t'mill. ;-) I think we
started off rather like this last year, didn't we?

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Here today was a little cold this morning - no frost though.
Turned into a very sunny day with no wind at all - a pleasant change from
all the heavy rain and strong winds of late.
Even managed to get on the allotment for an hour and just about finish all
my digging and horse manure spreading in preparation for spring.

Alan
Just north of Portsmouth

Sacha wrote:
we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.
--
Sacha

We have just returned from Cambridge (half way to London) where we met
our daughter and gave her back her baby after spoiling him rotten for
the weekend.


Very bright at Norwich when we left but 1 and a quarter hours later, it
was getting overcast and several degrees cooler . We noticed that the
winds which are still prevalent here, were almost non-existent near
Cambridge - I am so sleep starved and not with just the baby but with
the wind howling at night and the house virtually creaking, it makes me
quite nervous as I have visions of a chimney crashing through the roof.


At this moment, it is almost still, for a change, bright blue sky
without a cloud, I am really looking forward to the evenings getting
lighter.

Judith at home in England

Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote:

Thanks for bringing me back to reality.. IIRC last year we had a miserable
late spring so perhaps it's best to wait.

Rupert, last Feb was the worst of the winter months by far - here the
average was 2C. colder than December & January, which were themselves
rather colder than previous years. In most years February is the
coldest month or at least equal to the rest, so hold your horses,
especially that far north.

Some of the more exotic stuff
(for me) has hardly gone dormant and even some stored canna tubers are
starting to sprout. I know that further South (London area) some of the
exotic plant folk are reporting things growing that would have seemed
totally impossible in previous years.

Yes, all sorts of silly things are happening here as well, but if
previous years are anything to go by, the great 'leveller' could come
in a few weeks time. It doesn't do much to hardy plants apart from
stopping them in their tracks, but they get going again as soon as the
weather improves. However, the kind of plants that I prefer (and
presume you do too) are so badly hit that they take an age to resume
growth. Last year my Hedychiums started as normal, then we had several
weeks of bitingly cold winds. It brought them to a juddering halt and
there was no discernible growth until late May!

On 14/1/07 16:20, in article
, "judith lea"
wrote:


Sacha wrote:
we had a *very* slight frost here this morning. High winds came back for a
bit yesterday afternoon, which was worrying but they died away quickly.
Today is clear and sunny with just a touch of cloud about.
--
Sacha

We have just returned from Cambridge (half way to London) where we met
our daughter and gave her back her baby after spoiling him rotten for
the weekend.

Fun isn't it - and so nice to be able to do the handing back thing, however
much you adore them!


Very bright at Norwich when we left but 1 and a quarter hours later, it
was getting overcast and several degrees cooler . We noticed that the
winds which are still prevalent here, were almost non-existent near
Cambridge - I am so sleep starved and not with just the baby but with
the wind howling at night and the house virtually creaking, it makes me
quite nervous as I have visions of a chimney crashing through the roof.

I hate to hear the wind roaring and rushing around like that but comfort
myself that the house has probably seen and heard worse, so will stand for
another 100 years or so. I hope! This garden lost a large number of
trees in 1990 but the ones that remain are a joy and if we lost one or two
very particular favourites, we'd be genuinely heartbroken, so I tend to
worry more about those in a storm.


At this moment, it is almost still, for a change, bright blue sky
without a cloud, I am really looking forward to the evenings getting
lighter.


For once, our weather sounds a tad similar. The barometer has really shot
up here, after a short bout of cloud and rain this morning. There is not a
breath of wind. Tonight the temp is dropping fast BUT there are big black
clouds on the horizon and one single bright star showing now in the deep
blue of the evening sky which has the merest haze of pink behind it. It's
absolutely beautiful and very dramatic. It's the sort of sky that if
someone other than e.g. Tintoretto tried to paint it, one would go "oh
PURLEASE, keep it for the chocolate box!" ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/