I managed to claim back some time owing from work today and got home early. Not much time at all, just over an hour but that was all that I needed today. I just needed to be home whilst there still some daylight around so I can shift some plant undercover as we are forecast a possible blanket of frost on Thursday early morning.And it seems that this will be a one off (for now) as from then onwards it looks like it's set to get a bit warmer again.
Since October has been on the whole mild and very good weather wise the shifting of some of our plants undercover has been very slow. Plus we're prioritising finishing off building the quarantine shed so we can store plants in it too (and have fun in it).
Winter population slowly building up
Also, as much as possible we prefer to leave out plants for as long as possible as they are better off outside rather than jammed altogether under glass the earliest possible we can do so. They will remain much healthier the longer they stay out as long as the weather remains mild enough for them.Saying that I know time can be an issue too and storing plants becomes just a matter of when one can do it rather than when is the most ideal for them (which is often the last minute before a cold spell, or in the case of xerophytes to dry out sufficiently before that).
Its's all a balancing act of different factors but the dictum 'Store plants too early and you prolong their winter too' goes to mind each time autumn arrives.
Anyway so yes I utilised the extra hour early home to move some plants under glass. Fortunately there wasn't that much to move with urgency at all and most of the borderline ones can remain outside where they are for now, as they should be fine with short bouts of cold and frost on them.
The ones I had to move ASAP were the ones I personally call the 'mushy lot' - i.e not necessarily very tender but touch the leaves with ice and they turn to mush. Lots of succulents fall under this category and several leafy plants.
What about tender and tropical plants that are not only intolerant of any frost but of colder weather altogether? Well we don't really have any of those truly tender ones outdoors anymore to mollycuddle and drag in the house at the first sign of autumn. We used to but we have disposed of them gradually until none remains. The only tropical and very tender ones we have are the permanent houseplants which are in the sun room and third bedroom (most of the house are plant free).
So I've just almost unceremoniously shoved these 'mushy lot' under cover, closed the greenhouse doors, and tucked them to bed for now. Over the weekend we'll have more time to sort the plants out properly and with more thought so as to utilise the available space as efficiently as possible.
The 'mushy lot'
Since the clocks have changed and moved back we rarely get the chance to spend some time in the garden after work and are only able to do so during the weekend. Until the length of daylight gets significantly longer again we are mostly weekend gardening warriors.So when I got home early and managed to do a bit of gardening, a rarity at the moment, I was reminded how nice it was to do so after work. It's to forget that sensation at the moment as our daily routines have changed now to adapt to the colder months.
I thought it was refreshing and invigorating, it felt like a treat! Like the odd cup of special coffee after work, or an aperitif before a meal, it was very, very nice!
Mark :-)