Kitchen Garden Forum

Noticed that BUCKTHORNE is showing signs of coming out in bud.

Afternoon Shallot Man, theres a Hawthorn hedge just across the lane from me, that has had a section in new leaf nearly all Winter.
Now i find this most strange since it's the coldest Winter we have had here for a few years.

Most strange indeed.

My bluebells, crocus, daffs and snowdrops are popping their heads out here too.......and the roses have all got new leaves on them as well.

Just hope it's a better growing season than the last one

Just saw today (lovely sunny spring-like day) that our 30-year old climbing rose Zephyrine Drouhin has two new flower buds on it! And it never lost its leaves over winter. How weird is that?

Otherwise, things are slightly later than this time last year, the first snowdrops are just showing colour.

there are a few weeds starting to sprout in the polytunnel....guess it must be time to start thinking about sowing

What will you sow though Richard?

My early daffs are almost out...they are against a South facing wall... but surely a sign an early Spring is almost here????

Daffodils have been in flower here in Cornwall for at least a week - along with snowdrops. Saw my first daff flowers a week gone Wednesday in Bodmin

ive got 10 early spuds in the corner of the tunnel, 22 broad beans in trays which will be planted in the tunnel in due coarse to get a couple of meals befrore the outsde ones are ready, the same with a tray of dwarf french beans and a couple of pots with salad leaves and eary cabbage.
the bulk of the broad beans will be the next to go in but probably not till mid feb, depends on the weather though.

I have one winter aconite in bloom, and one blossom on one of my strawberry plants (despite recent frosts). I'm inspecting my mini pond daily for the first signs of frogspawn but haven't seen any frogs come out of hibernation yet. For me that's the first real sign that Sping is on its way.

I have a clump of yellow aconites in bloom this past 10 days and this week two clumps of snowdrops a very welcome sight, daffs just an inch out of the ground.
Bren

Dear Bren, i just simply adore Aconites and Snowdrops, theres nothing flash or gaurdy about them, but they are just perfect.

Wow, you are all well ahead of us! Our snowdrops are only just showing colour and the little daffodils and species crocus growing against a south-facing wall only just have their green leaf tips up, certainly no flowers yet.
But the mistle thrushes are singing and the robins have paired up!

I've been looking for frogspawn as I have usually seen it by now but so far to no avail. Except what I have seen are clumps of 'jelly' seemingly minus the 'frogspawn'. Or even on 2 occasions, a clump of jelly with what looked like hundreds of black 'caviar' sitting on top of the jelly. Anyone any idea what this is. Not noticed it before.

Dear Anne, that sounds most strange to me, it sounds as if the spawn hasn't formed properly for some reason.

If anyone is venturing out of doors today, be sure to wrap up warm, the wind chill is bitter.