Wow Did Some Potting Up

Friday was a cold day although it perhaps finished up slightly milder than the forecasters had suggested.

Temperature and Wind Chill for 13 January 2017

Although it wasn't blowing a gale there was a strong, cold, north westerly, breeze blowing all day making it feel much more like the wind chill temperature on the graph shown above. It wasn't a day I was planning to do anything outside. Then the delivery man knocked on the door.

Our new black raspberry plant "Jewel" had arrived. The big red label suggested it needed opening straight away so that the plant could be inspected and given a bit of immediate attention should it need any. It was a case of wrapping up warmly and heading for the greenhouse.

I needn't have worried too much as the plant had been well packed for its journey by Sutton's Seeds. Once unwrapped it was potted up in a decent sized pot where it can grow on until it's ready to be planted out in the allotment. It's funny how things seem to go missing when nothing's been done in the greenhouse for a few months. Finding a trowel, a decent sized pot not to mention some compost wasn't that easy. (You can read about why we chose a black raspberry on Sue's Blog here.)

The last time I looked in the greenhouse our banana tree had green leaves but the cold frosty weather has finished them off.

Our greenhouse doesn't have any protection against the winter cold at all. I gave up trying to keep it at a "cold" greenhouse or frost free temperature many years ago. Most things survive a normal winter but in a really cold winter I accept that we will have a few loses.

Against all the odds this overwintering Osteospermum was doing its best to flower despite all around it were buds turning mouldy. Our potted patio rose is also overwintering in the greenhouse and has a flower bud.

I'm not holding out a lot of hope of it bursting into flower over the next couple of days.

Copyright: Original post from A Gardener's Weather Diary http://ossettweather.blogspot.co.uk/ author M Garrett