Garden Centre

Friday, January 13, 2012

Snowdrops but no snow

Apparently the spring flowers are weeks earlier than they should be, although in my garden the snowdrops actually seem to be a little behind this time last year! According to meteorological records there were only four air frosts in the last three months of 2011, compared to 35 in 2010, and that’s not good news for those contending with slugs and snails and the blasted, benighted, blithering whitefly that are plaguing brassica growers across the UK.

So, snowdrops are in full bloom in places that don’t usually open their doors to visitors for a further fortnight, which traditionally heralds a good snowdrop viewing week, and daffodils are in bloom in sheltered areas. I’ve seen silver birch in full bud in Sussex and the robins have been singing for at least a week.

My unforced hyacinth bulbs are showing, as are some of the anemone de Caen who will certainly suffer for their presumption, and I just wonder how long things are going to survive their winter reprieve before a killer frost mows them down?

Labels: air frost, early spring, robins, snowdrops, whitefly

The All Seasons Gardener at 9:05 AM

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