What a bizarre week on the weather front it has been at the nursery.  They say that a football match can be a game of two halves – but this week certainly has been!!   On Monday it was 7c – but on Monday night – we had a very sharp frost – down to -5C – and that left the next few days at 3-4C – such a change – now – Saturday – we are back up to 11C – mild and windy!!   The plants just do not know where they are!!

Still – it does mean that the ground is in very good workable condition for planting  - probably the best January for planting new trees and shrubs we have seen for a long time – certainly very different to last year!   The jury is still out as to whether there will be any real ‘winter’ this year – my guess for what it is worth – is that there will be a little bit of snow in mid-February for a few days – and that will be that – we will then run straight into spring!

What remains more of a concern though continues to be the lack of decent rainfall – and there is talk in some parts of Suffolk of drought orders in March if nothing arrives – worrying really – it is always said that Suffolk rain comes in winter – and at the moment it is pretty dry!   Let’s hope the old saying – ‘February fill dyke – black or white’ – comes true – because the ditches or dykes – most of them are dry – and have been for a long time.

On the nursery this week – has seen the grafting programme of ornamentals progressing.  Also there has been a useful period of maintenance of tunnels on an actual wet day  - we have been waiting for three months for one of those! – also a lot of rabbit fencing has gone on.   The one really frosty day also revealed some nibbling of fruit trees – they just cannot leave them alone!   If you have any newly-planted trees or shrubs – do not skimp on the protection from rabbits or deer – they really are a problem – and can destroy a newly-planted tree in one nocturnal visit – you have been warned!

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

RICHARD