Get stuffed

Yes it’s that time of year again. Suddenly the temperatures have dropped fast so action was needed. 

I was working from home and in between meetings I had to remember where I’d saved some straw from a delivery, grab it and run down the garden to pack the tree fern crowns. They need better packing, but this was quick - it will do for tonight. 

As expected the next day dawned frosty, and I do mean frosty.  Last week the night temperatures were hitting between 8 and 11 degrees, this night it went down to -3.  I could see the garden birds shivering as they pecked at the birdfeeders.  I wondered if the bird seed was frozen solid so popped out to put some fresh onto the bird table just in case.

The ground itself was frozen, it had that harder than hard feel to it.  The frost silver-tipped the grass and the plants in the garden.  The dahlias have their blackened frosted look and I will have to bring them under cover shortly in the vain hope of over-wintering them.  I used to successfully over-winter my dahlias when I lived in my previous house, but somehow the move a little south to Leicester has meant I have lost the ability to do this.  Surely it is easier to do this in Leicester as it is closer to the Equator?

Any hoo, I digress.  The straw stuffing was added just in time and hopefully the crowns are safely being kept safe until the Spring arrives.  I will check the stuffing, remove it in warmer moments and give them a bit of a water and stuff them better if the temperatures drop even further.  The Dicksonia antarctica is meant to be hardy down to about -5c, so theoretically I could have left it unstuffed.  But these are expensive purchases and whilst I might be coddling, as long as I don't over-coddle them to death, I am happy to be cautious.  Waiting for those first fronds in Spring is always an anxious wait.

Time will tell......

 Take care and be kind.

For more from the Blackberry Garden follow me on Bluesky Twitter X  Facebook Instagram and Substack