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What Springlike Signs Have You Seen?


Andy Bown

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Posted
  • Location: north wiltshire
  • Location: north wiltshire

Sounds even more amazing than here.. :good: Talking of tomatoes, we never picked one until Sept 19th, but the crop just kept coming and coming thereafter - we picked the last useable 1/2 dozen on Nov 4th and barbecued them on the vine while setting off fireworks. Rather surreal..

Yeah, it's a strange one for sure. This is potentially a pretty cold spot here in Dauntsey Vale on the banks of the Avon; -15c last christmas morning. Can't say I'm too disappointed though, starting to fantasize about the prospects of a long hot summer already.
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Posted
  • Location: Manchester
  • Location: Manchester

Am I living on an alien planet? There are absolutely no signs of spring here, everything has died for the winter.

Strange really- I've been in Manchester for the last few days and there are springlike signs here- buds around and even still some leaves clinging onto trees. Also the grass is much greener than it usually is this late in December. This time last year the grass had gone brown. I have to say though having spent time in the South West recently the spring-like signs are much stronger there with some plants and hedgerows flowering.

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Posted
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.

A quick walk round part of Kensington Gardens this morning revealed the first patches of flowering snowdrops (about the normal time), the early ornamental cherries in blossom (ditto), forsythias and viburnum just breaking bud (a couple of weeks early), signs of white colour on the buds of one magnolia implying that it's not that far off of flowering, a few lingering roses and some daisies. Whether the daisies were late or early is hard to tell.

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

I've been seen out weeding the garden! This time last year it was frozen down to 6" and you could bounce a pickaxe off it.

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Posted
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL

We have got some so called winter pansies in flower in our yard. Every time I look at them, winter seems miles away (even though it is winter). Surely a decent frost will kill them. Seen a few roses still in flower aswell recently. Although I've seen this late the last couple of years in November, not in December. Though with the last two being very cold, this was prevented.

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Posted
  • Location: ILCHESTER
  • Location: ILCHESTER

Springlike signs continue to emege here. All the hedgerows are growing, as is the grass and many trees are in bud, some before they have even shed their Autumn leaves. Saw a large bee yesterday in one of the sunnier spells and there appears to be increasing numbers of young small birds around, at least in our garden. On the eastern edge of Yeovil the recent impressive display of daffodils is now waning, having already given a show pre Xmas for the first time I can remember, meanwhile I think my sap might be starting to rise too.... oooooo errrrr matron :rofl:

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Posted
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)
  • Weather Preferences: Sunshine and 15-25c
  • Location: Edmonton Alberta(via Chelmsford, Exeter & Calgary)

ive seen daffs in flower today where i am....never seen that before new year...earliest i can remember was early Jan

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Posted
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)
  • Weather Preferences: Hot sunny summers, cold snowy winters
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)

The only signs of spring around here are the squashed hedgehogs on the road, I don't recall seeing this many at this time of year before.

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Posted
  • Location: South East UK
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms/squalls/hoar-frost/mist
  • Location: South East UK

Usually by December,the Garden spiders with the orb webs are long gone,

however i have seen two in the garden yesterday, one was eating a fly in the middle of its web, the spiders were about 8mm across this would usually be more likely during june!.

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Posted
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)
  • Weather Preferences: Hot sunny summers, cold snowy winters
  • Location: Longlevens, 16m ASL (H)/Bradley Stoke, 75m ASL (W)

Well the last couple of mild days seem to have convinced the hydrangea to start budding!

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

Out for a walk today with the dog and noticed the first of the hazle catkins starting to open, but, there is also a dusting of snow on top of the local hills. It aint'n't over yet! :sorry:

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Posted
  • Location: Nr Appleby in Westmorland
  • Location: Nr Appleby in Westmorland

I hate to be a party pooper but that Sycamore isn't a Sycamore, it looks more like a variety of Virginia Creeper.

Just to poop on your pooping, it's actually a Lime.
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Posted
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL
  • Location: Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands 145m ASL

Well today I was in my garden and since my garden path runs next to one side of next doors pond I thought I would have a look and what do I see? A female frog being clasped by two males waiting for her to spawn. It is only the second day of January for goodness sakes, they're supposed to be hibernating!

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Posted
  • Location: Leicestershire
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, snowy Winters and cool, wet Summers
  • Location: Leicestershire

I feel very sorry for some of nature who are taking advantage of the mild weather and acting as if it's Spring. If a cold snap or even worse a sustained cold snap occurs after they have been doing this, the nature in question will be damaged.

Seen a few wasps and flies out there today... very odd. They don't seem to have been killed off this year with the lack of frost. To be honest I've always thought of wasps as Autumn insects, as I rarely see many until late July or August. I've seen more wasps in December than April before (bees seem to be more common in Spring and less so in summer)! I've read that sometimes late frosts in May can kill off some queens, meaning potentially less wasps later in the summer.

Edited by Tellow
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Posted
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield
  • Weather Preferences: Any Extreme
  • Location: Sheffield South Yorkshire 160M Powering the Sheffield Shield

I don't think Winter ever started. A lot of plants should have died off haven't and now the grass is growing and needs cutting. As bulbs well on there way sure I saw some daffodils out the other day as well.

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Posted
  • Location: ramsgate 42m asl
  • Location: ramsgate 42m asl

We have daffs out, a rose bush not only has buds on it but also one has opened out and is in flower, the birds are singing at 4am in the mornings and just the other day I saw a bumble bee on a weed trying to get nectar (spring is here or so the animals and flowers think)

planet thanet

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Daff bulbs coming through the wood-chip in the front garden and that bloody annoying Robin singing all night long for weeks now!!!!

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Posted
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral
  • Weather Preferences: Summer: warm, humid, thundery. Winter: mild, stormy, some snow.
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral

what have we got here, well for a limited time only; as the frost will wipe pretty much everything out next week;

Begonia semperflorens is actually still flowering, although the flowers look tatty,

Gazanias flowering

Pelargoniums flowering (of course)

Herbaceous impatiens emerging from the ground

Winter annuals obviously in flower.

Camellia in flower (some)

Abutilon in flower.

Spring Daffodils emerging, but not quite in flower (note there is a difference between winter and spring daffodils - most winter ones are showing now)

Most things in the gardening still growing.

However it won't last as the colder weather comes in, in fact with stuff still growing it could be quite damaging to gardens. Usually plants go dormant, and that allows them to deal with cold, frost and ice. However if they are still active and it freezes, relatively hardy plants could be lost, or true Spring growth will be voided.

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.
  • Weather Preferences: Anything extreme
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District. 290 mts a.s.l.

Saw a bumblebee flying around in the sunshine this morning, this was down in the valley about 2 miles from where I live.

Very few flowers around apart from a few tatty looking Calendula so I think it would be thin pickings if it was looking for nectar.

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Posted
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral
  • Weather Preferences: Summer: warm, humid, thundery. Winter: mild, stormy, some snow.
  • Location: Heswall, Wirral

I heard the buzzing of bees/wasps on ivy this morning, so they're still in active mode (the females)

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Posted
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W
  • Location: Kingdom of Fife: 56.2º N, 3.2º W

Ground elder starting to flower down at the beach and I gave the grass a haircut today.

Edited by frogesque
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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Early spring brings out early blossom

It may only be early January, but cherry blossom has started to appear on trees in yet another sign of the impact this year’s mild winter is having on nature.

The bloom is usually a sure sign that spring is on the way and is often not seen until April – but following the mildest December for 20 years, buds have already started to emerge. This blossom was seen in Beacon Park in Lichfield, where tourists were taking pictures of the pink flowers. There have also been reports of trees starting to bloom in Church Road, Pelsall. The mild winter has seen spring flowers such as tulips and daffodils arrive in florists weeks earlier than usual. But it is also having a strange effect on fruit and vegetables – with a warning about a shortage of rhubarb.

The vegetable needs frost to grow, and it is feared this year’s crop may be poor.

http://www.expressan.../#ixzz1j8dXL6uZ

This year’s record mild Winter weather has triggered an early Spring bloom of wild flowers, according to a new research study.

Biologists have discovered a remarkable 63 species of wild flowers in bloom, which is much more than the normal average of 20 to 30 species. A wild flower hunt around Cardiff by Dr Tim Rich of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales and Dr Sarah Whild of Birmingham University this week demonstrated how warm the Winter has been so far.Dr Rich, Head of Vascular Plants, Amgueddfa Cymru, said the diversity of wild plants in flower in mid-Winter is very unusual.He added: "Most of the wild flowers have continued to flower because autumn frosts have not been severe enough to knock the plants back for the Winter.

“Only winter heliotrope is supposed to be flowering at New Year, but three Spring-flowering species – hazel, primrose and lesser celandine - were flowering very early."Only gorse was seen flowering on New Year’s Day 2011, which was not surprising given the extreme cold and snow of last year.The mild winter has allowed many garden flowers to bloom early too, with Camellia, Forsythia and Laurastinus flowering already.The team produced a report of all the sightings in the survey, and the locations of where they were seen.

Senior forecaster with Positive Weather Solutions, Jonathan Powell, said plants and animals were going to have their biological seasonal clocks “badly disturbedâ€, with further mild weather forecast. “It’s bizarrely mild, more like April and early May,†he said.“Winter will return late January but is unlikely to be bring a sustained cold snap with snow chiefly confined to Scotland and Northern England.“It’s still going to be a predominately wet and mild run out into spring.â€

http://www.clickgree...in-mild-uk.html

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