In message , Adam Lea
writes
On 18/02/2017 11:07, wrote:
Yesterday got me thinking about this as I sat in the sun in our
front garden in North London with temperatures nudging 13 deg in mid
February. But on reflection I would describe yesterday as a mild late
winter's day. Not quite warm enough and everything still too bare.
I go by the meteorological definition, 1st March, but at the same time
appreciate that the first half of March is really the tail end of
winter in terms of weather, but with more daylight, and proper
springlike conditions don't really take hold until late March/early
April. The UK weather can be a tease to gardeners at this time of year.
Perhaps it's partly due to global warming, but here in Surrey in recent
years spring often seems to have begun around mid-February. This year is
looking like it could be another example. A couple of days ago, I was
surprised to see a primrose in full bloom in my garden, especially as we
have clay soil which one would expect to be slow to warm up. Though
December was mild, January was colder than average, which made it all
the more unexpected. There were also snowdrops in bloom, but it's
probably about the normal time for them.
Last winter, of course, was exceptional, with daffodils coming into
bloom in mid-January IRRC.
--
John Hall
"One can certainly imagine the myriad of uses
for a hand-held iguana maker"
Hobbes (the tiger, not the philosopher!)