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Monday 5 March 2018

WINTER FLOWERS OF HARDY PLANTS, TOUGHER THAN HUMANS

Much of the UK has been under snow this past week and I haven't been getting into my garden room.  When I went in today, now that the snow is thawing and clearing, I noted the thermometer reading which told me that the temperature in there had dropped to below minus 4 degrees celsius.  So what was it outdoors?  It made me appreciate more the hardy plants, those producing flowers right now, flowers which have been under the heavy weight of ice and snow for the best part of a week.  Yes, the flowers look a bit worse for wear but they have survived it, those delicate petals.  I mean, the snow has just cleared so the flowers had to have been there, underneath it all, all that time.  It made me realise just how tough they are.  I mean, how long would we humans survive naked and out in freezing weather, under a pile of ice and snow for a week?  We'd last mere hours, not days, that's for sure.




Yellow primroses surviving the snow - 5 March 2018




Primula flowers survived the snow - 5 March 2018




Crocus flower immediately after snow had cleared - 5 March 2018

And last but not least...   A while ago I posted about the plant Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue' flowering in winter.  Well, that plant has flowered all winter, right through the dreadful weather we have had here in the UK this last week or so.  The snow cleared this morning and I went out to have a look at it, and there are still flowers.  Ok, yes, they look a bit battered but they have survived.  I thought this plant was supposed to just flower in the warm months?




Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue' after the snow had cleared - 5 March 2018




Lithodora diffusa 'Heavenly Blue' after the snow had cleared - 5 March 2018

You can see how the subzero temperature has nipped at the leaves.