The chilly weather is causing chaos in our gardens, and it can be tricky to know how best to protect your beloved plants when temperatures drop so drastically. Luckily, BBC Gardeners' World host Mark Lane has offered some handy tips, as well as suggesting which plants are likely to survive a cold snap - and those that aren't. Speaking to Stannah, Mark advised that when it comes to plants, it's crucial to 'prune to prevent'. This all boils down to a process known as 'transpiration' - essentially the evaporation of water from plant leaves.
Transpiration involves moisture being transported through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, where it turns into vapour and is released into the atmosphere. The process also includes something called 'guttation', which is the loss of water in liquid form from an undamaged leaf or stem of the plant.
Wind greatly contributes to transpiration, as does a cold snap, which is why Mark suggests it's wise to prune back certain plants, like herbaceous perennials. You should ideally have already trimmed back plants susceptible to wind rock and cold, such as shrub roses, Lavatera and Buddleia, by between a third and half of their height in the autumn - and moved vulnerable plants like Olea europaea (olive) indoors.
