The nationwide cold snap in December 2022 reminded us that a lot of plants we'd come to regard as hardy were, in reality, not quite as tough as we thought. For a good decade and more we'd brought the likes of penstemons and shrubby salvias through winter out in the garden without a problem, but many gardeners lost the lot last winter.
Global warming isn't a figment of our imagination, but it's a mistake to forget that thing called 'weather' - even with overall rising temperatures, there'll always be cold snaps that catch us out and remind us that when we grow plants from all over the world, sudden drops in temperature can take them - and us - by surprise.
I can still recall a 20-year experiment to verify the hardiness of eucalyptus species in the UK. It found that if temperatures dropped gradually, the plants could survive a surprisingly cold winter. However, a sudden drop - even if it wasn't nearly as cold as a steadier decline - resulted in sudden death.
With tender bedding plants, we ease them into cooler temperatures by 'hardening them off' - gradually accustoming them to lower temperatures in the weeks prior to planting out at the end of May. It's worth remembering that plants are just as sensitive to sudden drops in temperature as we are, except that they can't simply reach for a vest or a sweater.
What does 'tender' mean?
Bu hikaye BBC Gardeners World dergisinin October 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye BBC Gardeners World dergisinin October 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
We love June
We're cruising towards midsummer: this is a month full of love and abundance. Wherever you look there will be something in your garden that lifts the spirits and makes you glad to be alive. We have colour to cheer us, we have leaves that still have the bounce and freshness of small puppies, we have the first berries fattening up, there are birds frantically parenting very demanding broods of chicks, the bees are all over the place, it's prime barbecue and picnic season, and we have lawns as lush and green as billiard tables. What a month to fall in love.
Your wildlife month
The female will usually lay one clutch of up to eight eggs
An edible garden in pots
Join Lucy Bellamy in creating an edible container garden for all seasons, as she harvests what's ripe now and starts later-season crops
Garden craft with kids
Fill the summer holidays with fun nature makes for kids, including botanical printed t-shirts, seed sowing in upcycled food containers and a hanging home for beneficial insects. Jaime Johnson and family show you how
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Using a colour theme is an easy way to give any garden a strong, unified character - Nick Bailey shows you how
Indoor plants, outdoor treats
Break the rules and give your house plants a summer holiday, with Michael Perry's mixed pot display ideas
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
The first few weeks of summer are a good time to get spring-flowering plants in shape. Follow Frances' guide for best results
Gardening for wellbeing
As the pressures of modern living bear down, our outside spaces can provide soothing respite for our minds and bodies, says Arit Anderson
Your greenhouse guide to A fruitful summer
Get the best from your greenhouse fruit and vegetable crops this summer, with these tried and trusted growing tips from Adam Frost
Stars of the show
Agapanthus is the perfect midsummer plant, flowering with spectacular blooms from June onwards and, as Monty explains, it loves to grow in a pot