"Tony Powell"
snip
Well I've seen just the odd few out locally near Newbury, Berkshire but
nothing like the abundance we would have had by now in other milder
winters. I can also say that, slowly appearing now are genuine wild
daffodils in a reliable woodland patch which I visit regularly. These
being out, nearly always weeks later than the currently left behind,
narcissus-type daffodils.

Interesting

Most things have been keeping their heads down here too, although the bulbs
are inching up and two Dicentra (one red, one white) are moving fairly fast,
with some alarmingly fleshy shoots showing since last week. I'm surprised
at that, as they're in the coldest part of the garden, one which gets no
direct sun at all from September to April and where the frost lingers
longest..

We're in for a traditional spring, I think - but one, hopefully, without
that persistent easterly wind that makes the eastern side of this country so
cold, grey and miserable in April, May and (sometimes) June.

- Tom.
Blackmore, SW Essex.

My daffodils are still in bud.

Last first flowerings:

2003 16th March
2004 6th March
2005 16th March

So a bit later this year in upland Devon.

Will. (Haytor, Devon, 310m asl)
--

"Richard Orrell" wrote in message
oups.com...
That's remarkable Stephen.

It has been mighty cold in South Devon as well this month but daffodils
have been in bloom for 3-4 weeks (if my memory serves me correctly).
They are probably at their best right now.

Our 24-hr mean temp so far this month is +4.8 deg. C (anomaly -1.4 deg.
C eLTA)
Mean Tmax = +8.2 deg. C (I suspect this is where we have gained some
'advantage')
Mean Tmin = +1.4 deg. C

Regards,
Richard.
--
Dartington, South Hams, Devon.
100 ft AMSL.
50' 12N, 03' 24W.


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

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

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

"Tom Bennett" wrote in message
...

"Tony Powell"
snip
Well I've seen just the odd few out locally near Newbury, Berkshire but
nothing like the abundance we would have had by now in other milder
winters. I can also say that, slowly appearing now are genuine wild
daffodils in a reliable woodland patch which I visit regularly. These
being out, nearly always weeks later than the currently left behind,
narcissus-type daffodils.

Interesting

Most things have been keeping their heads down here too, although the bulbs
are inching up and two Dicentra (one red, one white) are moving fairly fast,
with some alarmingly fleshy shoots showing since last week. I'm surprised
at that, as they're in the coldest part of the garden, one which gets no
direct sun at all from September to April and where the frost lingers
longest..

We're in for a traditional spring, I think - but one, hopefully, without
that persistent easterly wind that makes the eastern side of this country so
cold, grey and miserable in April, May and (sometimes) June.


Indeed. I really cannot see the benefit of having daffodils out in February or
even January in some places as the days are short and there is less time to
enjoy them if you are at work all day. OK if you a professional grower in
Cornwall then it enables you to earn a living but I prefer my daffodils to be in
until March when the days are getting longer and the sun is stronger.

Will.
--

Indeed. I really cannot see the benefit of having daffodils out in February or
even January in some places as the days are short and there is less time to
enjoy them if you are at work all day.

Will.

If you like a grey bleak colourless January landscape that's fine! I
think its the time of year you most need some colour.

I'd rather spend a fine day in January walking through Gwithian Towans
with the blue sea, clumps of yellow on top the hedges, and fields of
yellow in the distance.

In a normal year there's loads of colour by March, celandines,
dandelions, camelieas etc. In January the daffodils and winter
heliotrope make it. Around places like Gulval (just outside of
Penzance) there is often so much colour, it can make a winters day feel
like summer.

Graham

"Graham Easterling" wrote in message
oups.com...
Indeed. I really cannot see the benefit of having daffodils out in February
or
even January in some places as the days are short and there is less time to
enjoy them if you are at work all day.

Will.

If you like a grey bleak colourless January landscape that's fine! I
think its the time of year you most need some colour.


Ah yes but what a contrast when Spring arrives in April!

Winter is not always bleak and grey on Dartmoor it can be very beautiful with
brown heather, dead bracken etc contrasting with white snow or frost. Even
without the snow when the sun is out the moors show various shades of yellow,
green and brown. Then what a joy when Spring arrives and the flowers come out
and the grass turns green and the gorse begins to flower. Guess beauty is in the
eye of the beholder.

Cheers,

Will.
--

Plenty of celandines out now - at last.

Went for a walk last weekend and noticed the celandines are out here too in
the woodlands and along some of the roadsides.

As for the daffs, they have been in bloom for about a month, and are just
about at their best but I suspect with the warmer temperatures they will be
over soon.

I also noticed the bluebells are coming up everywhere, with a good spell of
warm weather we may get to see them flower before April is out.
_______________
Nick G
Exe Valley, Devon
45 m amsl

Felly sgrifennodd Will Hand :
My daffodils are still in bud.

So are ours, except for one brave flower which opened up last Sunday (19th).
We have hundreds of daffodils in our garden, so I suppose one freak is
not surprising.

Usual date of opening: just about in time for St David's Day.

Adrian (12 miles ESE Aberystwyth, 260m/860ft asl)

--
Adrian Shaw ais@
Adran Cyfrifiadureg, Prifysgol Cymru, aber.
Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru ac.
http://users.aber.ac.uk/ais uk

In uk.sci.weather on Fri, 24 Mar 2006, Bernard Burton b.j.burton-
wrote :

I saw my first bumble bee of the season, afternoon 23rd.

Me2.
--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham