Winter arrives at the allotments
On Sunday we got a number of things done, just in time. While OH was up the ladder, pruning (by which I mean hacking and sawing) a third off one of the espaliered apple trees, I was busy wrapping the strawberry bed in fleece against the frosts that my instinct told me were on their way. It turns out I was right! Today's sub-sub-zero temperatures definitely prove that a grower's instincts are usually to be trusted.
While we were busy with that, and with burning some of last year’s prunings (both an essential task to clear the allotment of old wood and an essential contribution to us being able to move our freezing fingers and warm our freezing toes) we found some old tools that we have never used, must have inherited them from an allotment holder who was giving up, so we took them down to the shop and found that another kind soul who had too many Brussels Sprouts had dropped off some immature Brussels sticks for people to help themselves. We did! Baby Brussels Sprouts, gently steamed, then fried in butter with bacon and chestnuts, are a delicious treat …Labels: allotment apple trees, brussels sprouts, strawberry bed
Posted by The Allotment Blogger on Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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6 Comments:
Lol winter arrived here this month too, about two weeks ago and now the temperatures have dropped. Thursday we are expecting -31C and real feel -41C, hope our heating company has its act together by then
Good Lord, Joanna - that definitely puts our -2C to shame! How on earth do you stay warm in that temperature? Mind you, it must be great at killing off gastropods!
It got down to -30.5C overnight and our car wouldn't start - it's a diesel. At those temperatures you don't go out much but layers are the answer and also getting the balance between enough movement to generate heat but not so much that you sweat. Now we find that -15C and up quite comfortable, especially as it dries the air out. Hovering around zero can actually feel colder because it's damp.
Forgot to say we have loads of snails in places but not many slugs and apparently a two week drop below -15C helps to kill off the biting insects too. Hope we have a better year on that front this next year then.
-30.5C sounds impossible to cope with, to me. We had -7.C over the weekend and it was really difficul to undertake work outdoors in such temperatures. I agree about the dry air though, I remember that from living in the French mountains.
You sound as if you have really got things organised though - I'm in awe of your hardiness!
Layers is the key, enough to keep warm but not too many to sweat. Moving slowly enough to not over heat and yet fast enough to keep the circulation going. Practice helps a lot in that, we have no known sub zero temperatures on a regular basis for the last 8 years and gradually adapted and bought the right kinds of clothes.
A walk in -25C meant two t-shirts, one polo neck, one thin fleece, one fleece jacket and a winter coat with a fleece lining. Leggings, jeans and over trousers on the bottom. Two pairs of socks and good hiking boots. A scarf around the lower part of my face but the moisture is continually wiped away and a hat and headband completes the Michelin man effect. :)
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