Bit chilly out there!

Not much chance to make any further progress with the greenhouse this weekend. We've retained a covering of snow since last Sunday and there was a further fall on Friday evening. It was that really powdery, squeaky snow that you don't often get in this country - makes everything look beautiful, doesn't wet you but rubbish for snowballs.

Walking in a winter wonderland

View from the bottom path up the site.



My plot from the main path. Note the collapsed netting over the brassicas.

Me by the shed - I estimated about 10cms level snow on Saturday.

The ground was still frozen and covered by about 7cms snow on Sunday so no chance of any winter digging. It's too cold to prune and too early to plant any seeds, particularly given the prevailing conditions. One job I did invent was to fill my recently acquired IBC (International Bulk Container) with snow. It was more for something to do rather than for any real purpose, although there was a bit of logic behind this tomfoolery.

Essentially snow is frozen water. My site lacks a mains water supply so I rely on what falls out of the sky. When the snow melts it will turn into liquid and soak into the ground but out of my grasp. Whilst it is in frozen form it is easy to collect and store in a watertight vessel to await its melting. There's a saying 'pure as the driven snow' so I can assume it's clean - apart from the yellow snow! - and will help me fill the 1500 litre container that will see my plants through the dry spells of summer. I've no idea how much liquid will result from the quantity of snow collected but I spent half an hour shovelling. Even if it's only a couple of watering cans full it was worth the effort.

IBC about one fifth full so far (four fifths full of snow now!). Holds 1500 litres.

Until I manage to hook the container up to a shed roof I'll be gathering water in my butts by the shed and then lugging it across to fill the IBC. I'll put in some charcoal or straw to try and keep the water sweet and clear of algae in the summer.

One of the other reasons for making a couple of trips to the plot was to keep my feathered friends warm and well fed. There is a good mix of bird life at the allotment and on the adjacent park. In harsh winter weather the small birds need all the help they can get to find food and keep warm. It's no longer 'tuppence a bag' but a mixed offering of seeds, fat balls and mealworms doesn't cost the earth and is greedily accepted by flocks of tits, chaffinches, robins, dunnocks and blackbirds. I spread the food around on various upturned plant pots, purpose made feeding stations and hanging from the bramley apple tree as birds feed in many different ways. The tits are acrobatic and hang from the feeder, the robin feeds off a platform and the dunnock and blackbird like to feed off the ground, hoovering up what the others have spilled.

Mealworms, suet pellets and mixed seeds - tasty if you're a bird.

Not the clearest picture - Mr Robin helping himself to a mealworm.

A winter wonderland it may be, but hopefully I'll be able to crack on with my greenhouse frame next week provided the snow melts and the ground thaws.