Sometimes you are faced with an extended period of hard frost that may go on for days or even a week or more. Your plants of course also require light. Snug though they are under their blankets of protection, they will not like being deprived of light for any extended period. So what to do? Well, if the frost relents enough during daylight hours, then you can take the covers off for a few hours and return them to bed before nightfall.
The lucky ones amongst us are those with spare room in a greenhouse. For those of you who garden in much colder winter climates than the temperate United Kingdom, you will either have chosen your plants accordingly or like me enjoy living your life dangerously. Seriously though, in gardening zone areas of say 4 or 5 you are definitely going to need somewhere to house your container plants at least. Even in my small garden, finding somewhere to house frost challenged plants on a more permanent basis can be very demanding. Once my small porch is full allowing for access, there are only the bedrooms left. I have spent many nights cheek by jowl with hardy agapanthus.
Early December also sees the first snowfall. Snow is very good at protecting plants from frost assuming the snow arrived first of course. Heavy snow on woody shrubs however, can be damaging and sometimes break branches if heavy enough or if it becomes frozen solid overnight. In this situation, you need to put your thickest pullover on and get out and physically dislodge some of the snow before damage occurs. Sometimes just shaking the branches will be enough, more often a stick or pole is required. Whatever method is employed, if in doubt don't delay or your favourite magnolia will be a sorry mess in no time.
Winter is a time for reflection and also preparation for the next season. I have a rather full garage and apart from the car it also is home to various gardening sundries. When dry weather finally arrives there is at least half a day's work waiting for me in sorting out the accumulated detritus of many gardening summers!
Once the leaf clearing and general garden tidying is over, winter is a good time to clean tools, sort out the old seed packets and to clean, disinfect greenhouses and cold frames. Just thinking about it is enough to put me off the idea, but this year I must get the garage gardening debris sifted and sorted. I've noticed the car is getting increasingly hard to squeeze in these days.
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