Hello from Canada

Rionach · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 3

Hello,

I'm taking a one year landscaping course from college right now and would like to work in Ireland next year, as a paid gardener or a Woofer. I enjoy reading all of your guy's posts, it's a lot more interesting to hear what real gardeners have to say than what a textbook has to offer. I'm glad to be part of this and excited about what I'll learn from here!

Sive · Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:17 pm Post subject:

Hi Rionach, welcome to the site....it's a bit quiet at the moment as many of us are taking a well-earned rest. In another few days I'll be able to see what damage has been done by all the snow we've had...that's about the extent of "gardening" I'm doing !

kindredspirit · Posted: Sat Dec 04, 2010 7:26 pm Post subject:

Hi, welcome Rionach.

walltoall

Rionach
You're very welcome to Irish Gardeners forum. Why not tell us what is going ob where you are, snow or no snow. We have just started a thaw after a week of snow in Essex. (It'sok. I'm a sleeper on enemy soil.) I've had my avocado covered by a plastic box since October as it does NOT like the cold. The max and min for the past five days has been -6C to +3. +3C was registered at 3pm today Saturday. What's happening where you are?
Wall To All

Sugar_Ape · Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:48 pm Post subject:

Hi Rionach and a warm welcome to IG.

Rionach · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 3

Thanks all for welcoming me. Right now there's a blizzard warning for about 25 cm of snow. But the weather's so erratic here. The coldest we had in the past 2 weeks is about -30 c with the wind and today it was +8 c and raining. The snow could very well turn to rain. The meadow at home was empty and covered with snow last week, this week it's a giant lake.

Sive,
Hope there's not too much damage! How much snow does Wexford usually get in a year? What's the frost like?

Wall to All,
Our snow was in a hurry too, came quick and left quick. Some shrubs in the woods were budding and ferns coming up! Nothing here will know where it's at until real winter comes in January.

Sive · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 4:56 pm Post subject:

Hi Rionach, I believe this sort of snowfall ( we've had a total of 12 inches or more ) is very unusual for this part of the country. As for frost, we tend not to get the very hard frosts that the more inland counties get. We have the sea to the east and south of the county, which helps to keep the temperatures up. I live about 5 miles from the sea, and the lowest temperature so far has been -4....quite low enough for me, I must say !
But the most unusual thing about the current freeze is that Ireland rarely gets snow before Christmas.....and for the past decade or more, we have been having incredibly mild winters too, so the snows of January and December 2010 have taken us all by surprise !
By the way what part of Canada are you in ? I spent a year in Toronto in the seventies, and found the winter there really hard to cope with !

walltoall · Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:57 pm Post subject: proper winter

Rionach. That's what they need over here (Sive excepted lol) a bit of a description of what a REAL winter is like. So you'll give us the odd weather report then until the growing season starts. I can't wait to hear your january report. here in Englan the whole country was in chaos with about 5cm on average. I've a son in Hamilton Ontario this 9yrs but he's coming home 'cause he can't stand the cold in Winter and the heat in Summer. .

Sive. The truth of it is that it has hardly snowed at all in much of ireland for decades. Any listener out there tell me are the Comeraghs white. Last time I saw snow on the Comeraghs was about 1970 but I will admit I don't often go home in Winter.

Rionach · Rank attained: Hazel Tree Joined: 17 Nov 2010 Posts: 3

I'm from Atlantic Canada, the best part which is New Brunswick. And I don't blame your son about the heat, wall to all. That part of Canada has the highest zone, 9 a or b I believe. We're a lovely 4-5 here. But I laughed when you said you couldn't wait for january's report.I could hear the irony.
Sive, never been to Toronto. The coldest it gets where I'm from is -45 with the wind chill. And that may only last a couple days. There's one fellow in my class from Toronto and he often says "my poor thin ontario blood" during the cold snap when we were out on a chainsaw safety course. So what does he do? Shows up in an ancient winnebago with plenty of drinks to keep him warm!!! Needless to say, he was warm then and was kept away from the saw.

Sive · Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:36 pm Post subject:

Aaaaah, the best part indeed ! Took a trip to Nova Scotia, New Bruswick etc when I lived in Toronto, and I couldn't believe how emotional I became when I got my first glimpse of the Atlantic after less than a year of living inland. It was almost as if I could breathe freely again !
You can keep the Great Lakes.......they have no character compared to the wonderful Atlantic.