Stephen Burt wrote:
Pleased to report the daffodils in my garden have just started to
flower - at last!

I've kept a record of the date of first flowering since 1993. This year
is the equal-latest on record (along with 1996). The range in dates in
the last 13 years has been almost 5 weeks, with an average date of 1
March: so currently some three weeks late.

1993 18 February
1994 - not noted -
1995 18 February
1996 23 March
1997 28 February
1998 20 February
1999 25 February
2000 24 February
2001 11 March - latest in 5 years
2002 1 March
2003 6 March
2004 28 February
2005 6 March
2006 23 March - latest since 1996 and equal latest date on record

My 30 cm soil temperature has only reached 6°C for short periods this
month, still below 5°C this morning.

Stephen

The last few years daffs have been in bloom late December here, I have
photographs of fields in full bloom taken Christmas Eve 2004. This year
there were no flowering daffs in my garden until early Feb, although
flower picking on south facing fields started mid-late Jan.

Daffodils in my garden were at there best around 2 weeks ago. All 'dead
headed' now apart from a couple of late varieties, and they are well
past it.

Plenty of celandines out now - at last.

Graham
Penzance