WITH the possible exception of keen walkers and ice skaters, few people will have seen much advantage in the wintry weather experienced during December and early January.

Travelling became difficult, and the foggy, sheet ice conditions of our local lanes made us think twice about taking the car out, though this did have one positive aspect in leading us to consider the necessity of some of the trips we make in a normal week.

The garden and surrounding countryside now has a tired and faded look, as night temperatures as low as -9C have taken their toll on all but the hardiest plants and trees, at the same time making life very difficult for wild birds and animals.

Of course, nature recovers from this seasonal damage, and the harsh conditions are but part of a cycle within the natural order, though this has become confused in recent years by a series of generally mild winters. Our native flora, from smallest plant to tallest tree, is quite capable of recovery from the effects of the freezing weather, and it is likely that more harm is caused by pests surviving a mild winter than any resulting from extreme cold.

Annuals, with just a short life span, need to ensure their future, and though they may perish in wintertime, their seeds provide a new generation in the following spring.

While responsible for the destruction of such plants, winter also provides the key to survival, as their seeds must undergo a period of intense cold to make them viable for the coming season, this process known as vernalisation. Understanding this requirement has enabled modern cereal farmers to use the seasons to their advantage, for winter wheat would only flower naturally in the summer if planted out the previous autumn.

It was, however, found that partially germinated seed, artificially exposed to low temperatures for several days, would react in the same way, thus enabling spring planting of the same crop. Of added significance has been the discovery that plants of the same species, growing at different latitudes, need periods of vernalisation appropriate to their local climate. This means that seeds produced for example in Scandinavia, will need a longer period at low temperature than those of the identical plant growing in southern Europe.

Seeds come in many shapes and sizes, and are covered, when ripe, in an outer coat, which is usually both tough and waterproof.

While this has the advantage of protecting the contents throughout the dormant period, the coating needs to be broken down to allow the seed to germinate, and this is achieved by abrasive movement of soil particles, and the activity of micro-organisms. The right levels of moisture, temperature and light then trigger germination.

Most perennials produce seed, but also survive underground, storing nutrition in their roots, bulbs, tubers, corms or rhizomes. As the growing season ends, so food storage increases, and though the upper plant may be killed off by cold and damp, that below will regenerate when conditions are suitable. Even these plants, however, go through the vernalisation process, as the growing point also reacts to specific periods of cold.

We have, of course, filled our gardens with plants from all over the world, and many will be lost, or suffer the effects of a ‘proper’ British winter, for while they may cope with modest fluctuations in temperature, their cell structure, and the fluids within, will not withstand being frozen.

Trees, in general, withdraw their resources into their roots, and stand dormant until spring. The leaves of some species, such as holly or laurel, are covered in a firm waxy layer, and are therefore well insulated, while conifers with leaves in the form of small tough needles also resist the extreme cold. Certain other trees increase the sugar content in their sap, which alters its specific gravity, so creating a basic anti-freeze solution.

While our mid-winter frosts might seem both uncomfortable and inconvenient, we still have some way to go to reach the depths of a real British winter. I wouldn't wish to tempt providence, but the lowest recorded temperature in Britain was that of -27.2C in Scotland in 1995, while the local record was -26.1C in Shropshire in 1982.

With this in mind it is as well to look on the bright side – the days are beginning to lengthen, snowdrops are beginning to peep through, and February might just bring with it the first glimmers of the new spring. JOHN WESLEY