Coping with snow

Like much of the country, we’re under snow at the moment. Predicting the weather, especially in Britain, is always risky. I heard on the radio that one the papers had an article in 2000 saying how snow and cold winters would be very rare events in the future. Bet the author of that wishes it had been forgotten.

I’m very pleased we’re having this cold period and snow. Firstly, cold periods kill pests like slugs. Warm wet winters followed by warm wet summers provide the perfect conditions for the gardener’s enemy. Secondly, snow lying on the land brightens up the world. I find the darkest days of winter quite depressing but the hard white glare of snow, like a sunny day, drives away the blues.

I’m very lucky in that I work from home, so I don’t have to fight my way on snowy roads to a job or worse still wait for buses that don’t come or trains that get cancelled. We do need to get out though. We’re well stocked up on food – although I wouldn’t be happy if we had to use the emergency stock of dried milk. Tea just doesn’t taste right with it. But we’d had some orders in for books over the weekend and I had to get to the post office.

Greenhouse in the Snow

Greenhouse in the Snow

Getting the car out wasn’t actually a problem and I suppose I could have walked the mile and a half to the post office if really needed. Getting back again was a different story. The road to the village is reduced to single track. The council have cleared the road but there are piles of snow to either side, reducing the usable width.

So, a truck coming down the hill presented the first problem. I pulled into an entrance to let him by and got stuck. In this weather I carry a spade and grit in the car so managed to get it free and continued on.

Arriving home, the snow that I’d got across without a problem going downhill presented a barrier to going uphill. After an hour with shovel and grit, I was no further on. Luckily there is a layby in the road in front of the house so the car is living there until the snow goes.

There’s not much that can be done outside in weather like this. The greenhouse is fine inside but just getting to it involves wading through drifts of snow deeper than my wellies. Val made a lovely lamb stew and suggested some leeks would go well in it. I’m sure they would have if I managed to get to them!

We’re intending to get a polytunnel this year and I’ve found the best possible site for it. It’s a flat piece of land (a rare thing on the hillside) on the other side of the walled garden. Only one problem, the drifts of snow between us and the gate into the walled garden.

If you’ve got a polytunnel or a greenhouse, it’s a good idea to take a soft floor brush and clear off the snow from the roof. Assuming you can actually get to it!

Posted in Allotment Garden Diary

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