Well I've been back almost a week and it has been a miserable few days weather-wise, rain, rain... and then it rained some more. Until yesterday which was clear which meant that we had our first strong frost of the year - oh joy - winter is kicking in. Fortunately I ghad managed to move most of the fuchsias into the greenhouse so they might avoid freezing and last out the coming winte.
Brrrrrrr - I'm shivering already - and that is in the house after haviong the heating on all evening. How our new "Lipstick Vine" will survive I don't know. minimu temperature is supposed to be 13C well there's no way it will survive the winter in our house then. Not only is it a cold house (the walls are solid) but my wife has the abnnotying habit of leaving the top windows open during the day while she is out.
It does mean that the air is fresher but it also means that the house cools down during the day so that all that heat in the morning is totally wasted and then if yoyu don't get the windows closed early enough - before it gets dark (around 4pm in winter) then the hous freezes in the eveniong before the heating comes on.
But try telling my wife that (or my mother) and it's ignored - because she doesn't pay the damn heating bill that's why.
Well I can't see our new vine surviving even up until December so that's £7.98 wasted at B&Q - we bought it because the leaves were so unusual - they look like christmas bunting- those loop streamer things - fascinating.
