'Winter kept us warm, covering earth in forgetful snow' - T S Eliot, The Wasteland, 1922

After such a benign winter so far (compared with those of recent years), and the early emergence of spring bulbs, I have been brought down to earth with a jolt by this spell of freezing temperatures and increased snowfall. But as a keen gardener this really shouldn't have come as a surprise because according to the Royal Horticultural Society it is February that is in fact one of the coldest months. Well, if that's the case at least we can rejoice at the fact it is also the shortest!