Winterish

Plum tree in snow

We had one day of snow - an inch or two, which didn't last long - and since then it has been a mix of rain and wind, with a few more snow showers and frosty days, but nothing serious.  It has been mostly cold, with temperatures down to at least minus 5C one night; the greenhouse has been quite comfortable though (reaching 15C one day when the sun got on it!).  It's winter of a sort.


The Birdwatch count was quite respectable this year, and for once genuinely representative of what has been turning up here recently.  The birds are definitely pairing up, and most species came in two-by-two: robins, dunnocks, blue tits, great tits, starlings and pigeons, with several sparrows and blackbirds and one each of wren, chaffinch, collared dove and greater spotted woodpecker.  Other birds that have been around but didn't make the count were a pied wagtail which only comes in really cold weather, and a song thrush that seemed to have broken away from a flock of fieldfares and redwings down in the field beyond the bottom of the garden.  We've also had a flock of partridges - up to 30 - coming in the late afternoons.

Galanthus atkinsii

I haven't been tempted out into the garden much, though there's a lot I really need to be getting on with.  Some weeding in the veg garden, and under the winter honeysuckle, was much appreciated by the robins.  I'd like to clear the ground under the Viburnum davidii with a view to moving some snowdrops there; I see that the Arum marmoratum italicum, which was originally planted a few feet away and hasn't been seen for a few years, has positioned itself under the Viburnum, which is pleasing if rather puzzling!  The snow stopped the comfrey flowers, but the double snowdrops are now starting, and there's a hellebore flowering under the back of the winter honeysuckle.  The signs of spring approaching are there if you look for them!

Waiting for snow

So 2014 was the warmest year on record - not because of any big heatwave, just that the temperatures remained a notch above the norm for most of the year, and there was no really cold weather.  It still hasn't got particularly cold here; a big dump of snow just after Christmas hit the Midlands but didn't reach here, and although there were some low temperatures over the festive period they weren't severe.  So far this year it has been wave after wave of wet and very windy weather, with occasional sunshine; today was typical, with a chilly wind but some traces of warmth in the sun when it came out between the heavy showers.  Snow forecast for overnight, but rain to follow and wash it all away.  The wind is unremitting.

The greenhouse bubblewrap went up on Boxing Day, the dahlias were finally lifted last week (and the tubers look pretty healthy) and the last of the tulips were planted the other day.

The first snowdrops this year were Galanthus elwesii, with G. atkinsii just opening now.  I really must remember to lift the latter ones this year and plant them somewhere more suitable; under the Viburnum davidii would be a good place for some of them.  The winter-flowering viburnums and the winter honeysuckle are doing well, there's a Cyclamen coum trying to flower and the pink comfrey is also coming into bloom.  The first buds on the big hellebore are also starting to open.  Down in the veg plot, the garlic and Aquadulce Claudia broad beans are showing signs of coming up (confounding my pessimism about the latter; I've never done well with autumn-sown broad beans in the past, but I wasn't using a variety designed for winter then).

Although the weather hasn't been particularly harsh so far, the birds continue to enjoy the food put out for them.  The sparrows, dunnocks, robin and blackbird come regularly to the patio, and today we've had blue and great tits, a pair of chaffinches and a woodpecker on the seeds and nuts.  A wren is occasionally about, as was a goldfinch today, and of course there are the pheasants and pigeons (Lefty the lame pigeon seems to be a regular again).  The flock of small finches has been around, sunning themselves on the neighbours' roof on Christmas Day and in the big ash tree last weekend; I think they may be linnets, which would be nice.  I hope some of them stay around for the Big Garden Birdwatch later in the month.