Kitchen Garden Forum

My rhubarb crowns are showing growth, the cold greenhouse has sprouted some cape gooseberry seedlings in the pots, an outdoor pot has some land cress growing quite well. a greenhouse strawberry has two fruits forming It's a bit soggy outside though after all the rain...

Well I do not know if you realize it but the night temperatures of the last week are warmer than most night temperatures in May, June, July and August of last year.
Yet things like snowdrops and daffodils remain well under the soil and my
Helleborus orientalis which normally is in full bloom in early December are only just begining to show buds on the surface and will not get into full flower much before mid February.
With plants there are always strange things happening and fruit trees trying to fruit twice in a season. They maybe odd but they are nothing really new.
JB.

NB, like Johnboy I have noticed how far behind the garden seems to be compared with "normal" years, rather than having sprung into spring! None of our bulbs are showing and the new rhubarb shoots are only just coming through whereas in many winters we have been able to harvest a bit in January (even on Christmas Day one year!).

I hope your early growth won't get a rude shock soon, NB!

Yes, that's what was worrying me Monica, even the daffs have started to show now and the loganberries have new shoots. Still pretty wet too, the ducks seem to enjoy it!

Daffodil here are a good month behind and there's little sign of wild snowdrops in the woods - just a few leaves pushing through.

The ducks are getting frisky though and begging the drakes for attention (not always forthcoming!).

on my allotment the only thing showing signs of growth is, you've guessed it, the weeds; but I did hear a delightful song being thrown back and forth by two coal tits in different trees last week

Hi NB,
The Daffodils should be showing and signs of life in soft fruit should be showing but you are trying to make out that things that are quite normal are abnormal which is not the case. My Daffodils are still not showing nor are the Snowdrops and I am some near 200 miles north of you and this is quite normal given the winter temperatures they have just endured.
Daffodils in Cornwall are at least a month behind according to those who grow them professionally. They should be picking Daffodils for the market at this stage and the stems are only 2"-4" out of the ground.
We still have ice on the local lakes but I would think that those in Sussex are now ice free.
I live 25 miles north of Hereford and the growing season here is almost a month later than Hereford. Two ranges of hills are responsible for this I suspect. I have to go to Hereford tomorrow and I expect to see signs of life, plant wise, that we do not have here yet. Spring is still a long way off though as February can be the worst month of the year for temperature.
JB.

Hi Johnboy,back to frost again tonight, it was sparkling silver in the full moon at midnight and lookerd rather beautiful

Suddenly the woods and roadside verges here are awash with swathes of wild snowdrops

The moles have been active for a week or so now and today the frogs are at it. Lots of spawn.

The moles are active on our site as well.

Yesterday, whilst deep digging on my recently acquired plot, I came across two slugs entwined together
I hope they enjoyed it before the spade came crashing down on them