Record early flowering dates

[jethro]

Well all I can say is that you are all lucky having such nice gardens. All we have is Buddleia, Hydrangea, a Holly, 2 ice plants and Kerria Japonica. I haven't noticed anything flowering earlier really, but there is a tree has lots of buds on already which I think is earlier than usual, I don't know what kind it is but it does attract dozens of bees and wasps when in full flower and berries that attract all kinds of birds in the Autumn.

Can't tell you what your bush is without a piccie I'm afraid. I am lucky to have a lovely big garden but it was alot less lovely when we moved in. How about going down the local garden centre and getting more plants to add to your collection; gardening is dead easy, not really the black art it's made out to be. If you need a bit of help either with inspiration or basic "how to " then pop down to B&Q (shameless plug coming up), pick up a copy of "Outdoor Living" it's a book I co-wrote for them a couple of years ago, it covers just about everything you need to know about gardening and design. I'd encourage everyone to create their own little patch of paradise to relax in, does wonders for the soul.

Just my tu'ppence worth:

The horse chestnut trees have been in blossom for the last two weeks across Warwickshire (and very nice they are too!).

The bluebells have been out now for a fortnight too across the same area.

Very nice but such early flowering leaves me with a deep sense of unease.

Regards,

Mike.

P.S. Lovely flowers Jethro. I wish I had your green fingers!

Don't worry about about the local flora flowering a bit earlier, they're resilient things, next year they could do the complete opposite.

Thanks for the kind comments. Green fingers available for hire but you're a little too far away I'm afraid. B&Q? :blink:

[Terminal Moraine]

The first Hawthorn flowers opened today on a tree growing at 300m. This is 22 days earlier than average and 3 days earlier than the previous earliest in 1990.

T.M

[James M]

Can't tell you what your bush is without a piccie I'm afraid.

Here are some. I didn't have acess to a camera until today.

Edited May 2, 2007 by James M

[Snowyowl9]

The first Hawthorn flowers opened today on a tree growing at 300m. This is 22 days earlier than average and 3 days earlier than the previous earliest in 1990.

T.M

Noticed the same thing today as a small hawthorn bush was in flower.

Also 2 or 3 of the smallest ash trees are starting to come into leaf.

I remember 1 year in the 90`s when a few of the ash here wer`nt fully out in the begining of July even!! can`t remember which year.

There won`t be nowhere near as many ash seeds as last year either they were loaded then it`s every other year with ash,one tree will be covered though I noticed.

By the way the oak were out before the beech this year!!

[jethro]

Here are some. I didn't have acess to a camera until today.

Hi James, it's a Cotoneaster. There are loads of different ones but looking at the picture it's likely to be Cotoneaster Lacteus if it's red berried or Cotoneaster Frigidus Fructu Luteo if the berries are yellow. Hope this helps.

[James M]

Thank you jethro. I created a thread about it and we came up with that and then i did a bit of searching on google and found Cotoneaster bullatus

Edited May 4, 2007 by James M

[Nick H]

I have recently planted some wisteria against my south-facing house. It usually comes out in middle May but it's at least 3 weeks early this year. Sadly the beautiful flowers will only last a couple of weeks more so you have to enjoy them now, but the scent is heavenly.

Edited May 5, 2007 by Nick H

[Nick H]

I've just completed a pond, too. Now I have more spare time, this has taken me 9 months to do. Last weekend I bought about 100 koi carp from the garden centre.

[johnholmes]

nice photos there Nick, lovely wisteria you have. Don't envy the work you needed to get a pond that size but it looks great.

Mine is a 'tiddler' by comparison, a mere 10ftX8ft and 3.5ft deep in the middle. Even that was b hard work about 14 years.

oops wrong one

think this is the one I meant!

John

Edited May 5, 2007 by johnholmes

[The PIT]

nice photos there Nick, lovely wisteria you have. Don't envy the work you needed to get a pond that size but it looks great.

Mine is a 'tiddler' by comparison, a mere 10ftX8ft and 3.5ft deep in the middle. Even that was b hard work about 14 years.

oops wrong one

think this is the one I meant!

John

Nice Garden John good pics.

Just been reminded again that I need to buy a macro lense.

[Nick H]

Well since I posted my wisteria sadly we have experienced a wet and cooler spell and this seems to have put paid to my wisteria for the time being. Just two weeks ago they were in full bloom, now a shadow of their former selves having been swept off. I was expecting them to last a bit longer. The first two photos were taken just 2 weeks ago, the 3rd just now. Never mind, they will be back in July and August, though not as spectacular as before. Still, I've got my dahlias to look forward to, hopefully they'll be out in June. I'm planting pink, red, yellow and purple ones this year as opposed to the purple I usually solely plant. Hopefully it'll add some colour to my garden for the summer.

Edited May 19, 2007 by Nick H

[Snowyowl9]

After that record breaking April with trees coming out 3 weeks earlier to normal most of the ash have yet to come out because of this cooler spell,some are still only in bud yet but ash don`t like frosts at all that`s why there`re so much later.

But some larger trees are starting to come into leave now.

Not much blossum on the hawthorn this year.

Edited May 19, 2007 by Snowyowl9

[pottyprof]

Great photo's everyone.. Was a little disappointed not to see JH with his little rod and his red hat but then i realised that he took the photo.. AHH!!

Anyway.. This is one that is going to be about a month early. The flowers are forming on our bottle brush plant. This in mind it should flower in about 3 weeks. It should flower in the middle of July..

I'll post some photo's tomorrow..

[Terminal Moraine]

The first Thorn flowers at 340m were out on May 17th, this is just 2 days earlier than the previous earliest date in 1998.

As Snowy Owl mentioned, the ( relatively ) cool and much cloudier weather of this month so far has slowed down the rate of progess of many plants.

Only a few young Ash are showing any leaves and the older specimens I observe each year are already 7 days behind the first leaf break of last year and still in tight bud.

T.M

[Osbourne One-Nil]

The Ash are still completely bare here, as always for this time of year.

[Rustynailer]

The Ash are still completely bare here, as always for this time of year.

Believe it or not they are not fully out here yet, 2 months nearly behind Oak (Taken on 18th May)

Regards,

Russ.

[Terminal Moraine]

The Ash I use a as a reference have just started to break into leaf here, only 4 days earlier than the average date over the last 20 years and 8 days later than last year which was the earliest date on record. Many others, even at a lower altitude, are still showing no signs of breaking bud.

T.M

[Terminal Moraine]

The first Ox-eye daisies opened their flowers yesterday, 8 days earlier than the average over the past 20 years but still 4 days later than the record earliest in 1990.

T.M

[Snowyowl9]

The ash are out fully now but still a few that are much later as they`ve just about started to come into leaf,one is still pretty bare looks very odd against the back ash.

[Crepuscular Ray]

Dunno about early flowering, but here (w. London) I've noticed both wild blackberries and wild hazelnuts emerging in the last couple of days as they drop their blossom. Obviously they're nowhere being ripe yet, but it strikes me as being somewhat early.

[Thundersquall]

I'm convinced I saw some red-stage blackberries growing wild amongst some that had only just appeared

(small green with some bit of red).

They could have been wild raspberries I suppose.

I'll check in a week or so to see whether they turn black.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Thundersquall

[Crepuscular Ray]

I'm convinced I saw some red-stage blackberries growing wild amongst some that had only just appeared

(small green with some bit of red).

They could have been wild raspberries I suppose.

I'll check in a week or so to see whether they turn black.

The blackberries I saw emerging a couple of weeks ago are now turning red, despite the lack of sunshine. Must go back and check how the hazelnuts are doing. At this rate, they'll be ripe before long and I wouldn't want to let the squirrels beat me to them.

[Crepuscular Ray]

Sorry for the double post, but the red blackberries I saw earlier in the week are now black.

[Rustynailer]

There are a large amounts of developing acorns on most oaks I have seen on the ground, several blew over in the recent heavy rain/stormy weather The thing that comes to mind with acorns in large numbers is Hardship either in the past or the future :- Past example= Last years drought stressed the trees in to fruiting heavily, most trees do this if they think there is an increased life risk.

Future example. A tree mysteriously knows there will be hardship like a bad winter (sorry I picked that one ) and duly fruits heavily beforehand.

Then of course there is the neutral argument. There is nothing magical its all down to science, it rained a lot, with quite a bit of early sunshine and we at least have had a good few sunny periods thrown in to a not too heavy rainy June.....

Of course there are other arguments, I just gave an example of three thats all.

I am off now to put some Monterey Cypress through a band mill, in the middle of the East wight countryside, where it is currently sun shining at Mother Natures pleasure* Rights reserved:-The sun can be withdrawn at any time without notice

Until I get a mobile laptop that is, then I'll have NW to give me a few hours notice at least

Russ

*

Edited July 7, 2007 by Rustynailer

[Terminal Moraine]

Sorry for the double post, but the red blackberries I saw earlier in the week are now black.

Blimey! Blackberries here are just starting to flower.

T.M