Then I remembered, I'd purchased these nifty little fan heaters that have a frost thermostate on them, and you just leave them on and they switch themselves on and off according to the temps! No more rushing around in the dead of night becuase the 10.30pm weather forecast says FROST!!!!!
I don't know if anyone else has thermometers around the garden, I do. I'm always fascinated how temps vary so much in different parts of the garden. This as you can see is my oldest and really needs to be replaced
the maximum is 'maxed' out but the minimum still works and as you can see went down to about 3C last night, this is on the patio in shade about 5ft off the ground.
The next one is down by the pond, also in shade on the side of the post with the light on it, about 5ft off the ground too
so here the garden is wider and to a certain extent more exposed so you would expect the temp to be lower, which it is. Only made it up to 11C yesterday, the wind was bitter though.
Then inside the big greenhouse with the fan doing its job we have
5C. Perfect, good little heater!
Then the small greenhouse
another good little heater.
The most exciting thing this morning when I was checking the greenhouses was this
my variagated Brug has flowered.
Then out and about in the garden the gunnera is about ready to be covered
my banana plantation on the patio
my baby banana at the bottom of the garden
After discussion on the Hardy Tropicals forum I have been informed that I don't need to straw wrap my bananas, which hubby will be relieved about, it saves him lugging bales of straw through the house, with me wittering on about the mess he's making!! lol!!! So this year we will be wrapping in fleece!! Fingers crossed. I have also decided that the gunnera instead of being cover with straw etc I am going to use the spent bark from the chicken run. At least I won't be chasing bits od starw around the garden all winter, just hope I have a garden left in the spring!
8 comments:
Beautiful frost! We haven't had ours yet. How reassuring to know that your 'babies' are warm and safe, even when you're not there.
Good luck with the blooming horse people, in my experience horse people tend to think they can do what they like whenever they like...there are a lot of them round here. Pity, I like horses really.
Hi Libby, when I worked in the gardens at Chatsworth house if I remember right we put a ring of wire netting around the Gunnera and just piled it up with Beech leaves. I too find it interesting to take note of the temps in the gardens and greenhouse. I posted them daily before I deleted my other blog but I intend to start again when I get back from my hols. I find it interesting if you have one thermometer in full sun and one in full shade then compare the difference in the minimum temps, this can give a good indication to people how much sun you had, the bigger the difference the more sunny its been. Of course the true temp is the shady one. Bob.
Wow, frost! We're still in short sleeves here :)
May nip into your greenhouse myself if it gets too chilly here...LOL Good the thermostat heaters are working well. I bought one of my Brugmansias into the hall at it smells fabulous during the evening even if the leaves look a bit tatty.
Will be thinking of you Friday...don't catch a cold meanwhile while you're out logging the lights! {{HUGS}}
Rx
I have gardened all my life without a greenhouse, Libby, so I'm always interested to read about those who have them and what they grow in them...and yours is the most exotic one to read about in the UK, in my opinion. Well done to you :)
"There's frost on the pumpkins" my mom always said when we had an early cold snap. Here in California we're still in summer mode - makes it hard to get into the Thanksgiving mood. much less Christmas.
We had a frost the other week and it has not been back yet. All your plants look nice and snug in the greenhouses
We have barely 5 nights of frost a year but when the temp goes down to about 42 degrees, I run out and throw a light kitchen towel over my Plumeria. I have to say it is looking very healthy but we haven't had a single flower this year. Had lots last year.
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