We are now just getting over the cold snap and we have been keeping a good eye on the containers which of course are most susceptible to the lower temperatures. We have also moved the dahlia, canna and begonia tubers that we lifted for overwintering into a warm spot until the coldest of the weather is behind us.
This year, as in the last few, we have only dug up the summer flowering dahlias and cannas which are a bit more unusual rather than everything. The more common ones we have left in the garden and given a good mulch before we came into the winter so hopefully these will still survive. The begonias we only use in hanging baskets or containers so these are put into the greenhouse and protected against the cold weather. As we write this we note that the snowdrops are again fighting their way through the frosted ground and although the cold will slow them down they will continue to progress and we are sure will flowershortly. After the long winters it is especially pleasing to see them as to us they really do signify that the worst of the darker days and nights are now behind us.
It is also the time that you should be planning what you are going to do in the garden this year and of course if it involves summer bulbs buying them sooner rather than later as the more unuusual ones we find are soon sold out by retailers who increasingly seem to have a smaller range of summer bulbs available.
Direct Bulbs Gardening Blog 