Last year was a cold winter / late spring - but not exceptionally so. This year we are enjoying a very mild spell in February - it is unseasonably mild.
Weather-wise, I am personally more concerned about rainfall. Last summer was exceptionally hot and dry. Here in the east we have had some rain but (in my opinion) the autumn and winter rainfall has been very low.
Reduced ground water / low reservoir levels at the end of last summer and not much in the way of autumn and winter rain to top everything up🤔 - I think we may have a water shortage to look forward to this summer😢
Bring on some rain!
Same here in Chelmsford. Hardly had any winter and I’m itching to get out to mow, sow & prune but I’m holding back. We could have a blast of bitter cold yet.
Memories of "The Beast from the East" are still pretty fresh. Even if we get nothing as bad as that this year, it is still February and we've got a way to go until "official" Spring. As Topbird says, the lack of rainfall is more of a concern to me at the moment.....
My garden diary for last year notes that the Beast from the East arrived here on 1st March and lasted about a week but todays forecast is still for mild weather for at least another fortnight. So.….., will we be lucky or not!
Well 5 days until "meteoroligcal" Spring, but 5 days + 3 weeks until "astronomical" Spring. There’s an air frost coming on Monday morning ... and in about a week ... some rain forecast each day for a few days (here in Sussex).
Two of my Japanese Maples are starting to open buds ... Orange Dream and Butterfly.
Our dwarf apricot is in full blossom. It does this every year, finishes flowering before its pollinators are around BUT today I saw a bumble-type bee having a good meal. Maybe there'll be fruit this year!!
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Two of my Japanese Maples are starting to open buds ... Orange Dream and Butterfly.