We may be seen as too soft but for the most part of last week we have hunkered down indoors. I have curled up with a Kindle book and Martyn has prowled around like a caged animal.
We did manage a plot visit on Monday as there were two tasks that really needed to be done. The first was to replenish our stock of fresh vegetables.
The second was to tidy up the mountain of hawthorn 'prunings' The pieces needed cutting into sections that would be usable as pea stick and the thorns needed removing. It would be no fun pushing in pea sticks that had vicious thorns waiting to stab through even the stoutest of gloves.
We did venture out on Saturday as Martyn wanted to film a steam engine in the Yorkshire Dales. Of course the best filming spots are high in the Dales where in parts snow still hung about in places that the sun doesn't reach.
The clear sunny conditions were deceptive as it was bitingly cold and windy making holding a camera still for filming very tricky. The problem with filming trains is that you only have a vague idea of when they are likely to arrive. This involves quite a bit of standing around with camera at the ready so my special gloves are essential.
When we go filming steam engines we try to include something else in the day and so headed off across Buttertubs Pass which offered more photo opportunities.
It also cleared off any remaining cobwebs! No doubt this week the scene above will turn to white.
Back at home, if you read Martyn's blog you will know that at around midnight on Thursday night we carried out an emergency rescue. The temperature was falling and we were concerned that the seed potatoes set out in our unheated greenhouse would be frosted and so flashlight in hand the potatoes were transported down to the house. They are currently set out in our porch.
Everything has been crammed in to make room for them and going out of the back door has become a major manoeuvre. The trays will stack but we wanted to make sure that the tubers had adequate light to prevent any elongated shoots from forming.
With temperatures forecast to drop even further, it looks as though the porch will be housing potatoes for the rest of the week.
This week I am linking to harvest Monday hosted on
Dave's blog Our Happy Acres
Posts
I've been agonising over what to do with my Broad Bean seedlings. Do I leave them indoors, where they risk going leggy, or do I put them out in the coldframe where the light will be better but they will have to endure night-time temperatures predicted to be -5C?? Dilemma!
ReplyDeleteWe haven’t sown any seeds yet, Mark but we will have to start soon.
DeleteBrrr - I can imagine how you feel, although we are actually in a "warm" spell with temps in the single digits and even a couple of days above 10C, which is very warm for February here. I'm actually getting worried that some of my trees & perennials may start to wake up too early and have a shock when temps go back down. Oh, poor Martyn! I did chuckle though at your caged animal reference :)
ReplyDeleteIt was the biting wond that made matters worse, Margaret. So far our coldest temperature has been -4.3C which was Early Friday morning so In many ways not as cold as winter in many places but cold enough for us. Chances are though that it could get worse,
DeleteI don't think you're too soft, it takes more mild weather than what you are shivering through to keep me out of the garden. We've had a return to winter weather (our wimpy version) with frosty nights and blustery cold days and unfortunately not enough rain, but there's snow frosting the local peaks. It's so weird after the balmy summer-like weather we were enjoying just a couple of weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteI think many countries would think that our winter weather is wimpy too, Michelle. It’s all a case of what you are used to isn’t It?
DeleteNow that's dedication Sue, removing thorns from peasticks.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of Martyn stalking around like a caged lion.
Myself I have been very clever, got this dreadful cough and am fit for nothing - even gardening1
More self preservation, Roger for when we need to use the sticks later. I have to say though that it was a very boring exercise. Hope you feel better soon.
DeleteHunkering down inside is about all any of us can do right now. Off to look at Martyn's video shortly. Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteOh, and Buttertubs Pass ~ what a charming name!
DeleteJust finished another ebook, Deborah. I’ll soon need to order more!
DeleteYou, too soft? No way. If it's under 60F (15C), the only way I'm going into the garden is if I'm wearing enough layers that I look like an Inuit and can't bend my elbows. Hat, scarf, beanie, double coats, all that. People can laugh, but though hot weather does make for sticky and exhausting work, cold weather is downright painful!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great haul of vegetables for this time of year. What's your favorite way to eat parsnips?
We have our thermals, a woolly hat, thick socks and several sweaters, Day. When we were out on Saturday I could have done with a snood too as my cheeks were stinging,
DeleteWe tend to eat our parsnips in casseroles, roasted or cooked in a very small amount of water in the microwave.
I'm like a caged animal too this time of year, and a week of rain didn't help any. I enjoyed the train photos and videos too. We took a ride on a steam engine train in Colorado a few years back. I can still smell the smoke in my mind, and feel the cinders in my hair and eyes!
ReplyDeleteGlad that you enjoyed the videos, Dave. It’s been very damp here for weeks not really what I would call rain more drizzly but enough to make gardening impossible.
DeleteIt's so cold at the moment and set to get colder still. We've had a few snow flurries here today but we're forecast proper snow tomorrow and Wednesday, it's certainly cold enough.
ReplyDeleteWe had a flurry or two as well, Jo but it soon disappeared. Let’s hope the serious snow warnings are wrong.
DeleteLast night we had -24 C here in Poland!
ReplyDeleteThe winter and frost are nightmarish!
Greetings
That makes our cold snap sound very balmy, Ela.
DeleteAwesome update thank you for sharing Sue hoping to have some veg this year blessing to you both
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda
DeleteIt was very cold here over the weekend, Sue, but okay in sunny spots. My mistake was to keep gardening until the top inch of soil froze preventing more work and now I've started a nasty cough. Very silly but it will pass. We have more sun here this morning so it looks tempting outside but I think this time I'll resist! Btw, my potatoes are indoors chitting but broad bean seedlings outside on the balcony as they're quite tough.
ReplyDeleteThe sunny spots did give a false sense of warmth here too but as soon as you put a toe out of them it was shiver time. Hope your beans survive any snow or is the balcony covered?
DeleteOh, yes Sue temperatures are falling down and here we have had today -19 , it was the coldest day during last years, brrrr. Hopefully your potatoes are OK, you'll have good harvest.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Martin's videos about steam trains, great! How many people came to film there, all they enjoy watching trains.
Potatoes are OK so far as the porch is managing to stay frost free, Nadezda although if we get down to -19 we could have problems.
DeleteThere are always lots of photographers out to take shots of stem engines.
The weather is amazing. While Europe is so cold, the weather here is much warmer than it normally is in February. All the snow melted over a week ago (most unusual - and most worrisome as the cold is bound to come back before spring ).
ReplyDeleteI just hope this snow and cold doesn’t stick around for too long, Alain
DeleteIt's great seeing how fat your carrots and parsnips get. But it looks like it was a chilly day to be standing on a hillside, though you got some great pictures of a pretty countryside.
ReplyDeleteIt was very chilly and windy but lovely and sunny too Phuong
DeleteMuch in the way of reading going on here too Sue. I chuckled at the thought of your midnight potato rescue - have done the same with tomato seedlings in the past. Hope that you hadn't gone to bed beforehand.
ReplyDeleteNo we were still up and dressed, Anna
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