Micro-Climates
I've
found a very interesting area in our Orchard that has kept Winter
at bay, while all around it lies dead. The Borage plants, which
have died off in other parts of the garden, are still green and
lush! This is a great find as once I remulch the Vetch that surrounds,
I may be able to plant some annuals in the area and see if they
survive next Winter.
A
microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs
from the surrounding area. Microclimates may be quite small - a
protected courtyard next to a building, for example, that is warmer
than an exposed field nearby. Or a microclimate may be extensive
- an area miles inland with warmer temperatures due to a large body
of water nearby.
The
area does not get Sun until around 11 AM in the Winter, and is close
enough to the back wall which absorbs the afternoon sun's energy,
heats up, and reradiates that heat to the area.
Below is Borage in a more exposed area of the garden, which
has succumbed to the frost. In fact, the only plants that have survived
in this part of the garden are the Calendula and Sage!
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