This morning I did go to the allotment and, opening the shed, I found it deceptively dry and almost cosily cool. However, the graceful lacey pattern on the inside of the roof left no doubt that there was no hope for any gardening today!
In fact it was so cold that the soil was frozen even inside the greenhouse: remember the chilli plants that were almost going to flower at the beginning of December? The stems have now burst, under the pressure of water in the cells expanding into ice... this certainly shows what an amazing system frost-resistant plants use to prepare for winter (called "cold hardening": they accumulate sugar as an antifreeze and leak water outside the cells, much as emptying a bottle a little before putting it into the freezer).
There was obviously nothing to do, except taking pictures of the amazing scenery. There's a few, so they are worth a Flickr slideshow. Here they are - hope you enjoy!
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