Winter ahoy..

So the first hard frost of winter has hit the country and already some transport links are in chaos.  The Manchester Evening News reports that Metrolink trams across the city were “severly disrupted” by the overnight temperatures which dropped to around minus 3 degrees.

Beautiful winter ahoy!

Whilst the thermometers outside were dropping, indoors the BBC dedicated a whole hour of programming to the subject of “Will it snow?”. The conclusion being, after meeting several experts, examining complex meterological formulaes and debunking the folklore was, “possibly”.  It’s fairly safe to assume that at some point your garden will resemble an explosion at the McDougall factory so it really is time now to start preparing for this.

Start saving newspaper now which can be used as a mulch around less hardy plants, and if any large cardboard boxes come your way keep them as they make a great temporary path for when the snow and ice really hits.

Invest in some “just in case” bits of kit, including the ubiquitous snow shovel and a bag of salt or grit for your own path and driveway. Alternatively you could club together with the neighbours and have a communal one – check out website Saltandgritsolutions.co.uk for lots of other options involving, well, salt and grit mostly.

There are still some things to be done in the garden though, including pruning the mulberry bush (don’t overdo it though, just take out the dead wood) and jacaranda once the plant is dormant. There is plenty of planting to be done in the vegetable garden, and top tips for staying warm in he allotment in winter range from heating large smooth pebbles from the beach in the oven and wrapping in an old mitten as a pocket warmer, to sandwiching a thin plastic bag (the type you put your veg in at the supermarket) in between two layers of socks.  Do make sure your feet are warm to begin with, or you are merely insulating the cold in, rather than out.

Asthmatics can have a difficult time in winter. Not only can some asthma attacks be triggered by leaf mould, but cold air combined with all the wood smoke from bonfires and fireworks displays can also bring on symptoms. If you’re an asthmatic, keep your inhalers close by and if you are prescribed a brown “preventative” inhaler, do ensure you take it daily to fend off attacks.

Winter is all about being prepared – with a little thought now you can sail through to Spring with no problem at all.