Just got back from walkies and was surprised to see catkins hanging from many trees. The younger willow branches also seem to have taken on a golden hue and buds on several species are looking less dormant. I can see 00's of crocus just popping through the soil in my front garden too
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I wondered if you were seeing it like me @Pete.8 ! And yes I noticed buds appearing on my crab apple.
@Dovefromabove very true on the midges! But I think I'd accept that - I'm a yearly visitor to the Galloway coast and it's the perfect temperature for me in summer. Think I might struggle being there full time though and not able to get my seed-sowing started early @Fairygirl
I wish there was a way to quickly get shade and moisture into my garden for the baking summers we now get down here - I've planted trees but it'll be a good few years before they provide decent shade. My soil is soilscape 7 - not clay like most of the area, but very free draining and stoney, so moisture retention is a massive problem. If a hosepipe ban comes along I'm buggered!
We have had a long period of cold in December, it's usually November, between 3° in the day and up to -5 at night, but it doesn't usually last as long as it did last year. I don't know about not having winter yet @Fairygirl this was over the new year near Ben Nevis where we stayed. 🥶😆
Yes but that's normal for there @purplerallim. In fact - even areas like that [further north] are getting warmer. I'm further south, but once you get to around Crianlarich [other side of the central belt] that's standard fare. Our coldest weather doesn't really begin until January Where were you staying? Your pic looks more like Glencoe. The final area of 'permanent snow' which is on Nevis disappeared a few years ago because of milder temps. There's a chap who has been monitoring it for years. There are also plants which grow at high altitude on our mountains that are now going to disappear because it's too warm for them and they've nowhere to go...
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The best thing you could do is add a load of muck, the more the better. It will improve the soil structure and make it more fertile and moisture retentive. Plant close together so plants help shelter each other.
I noticed yesterday that new buds are appearing on several clematis, there's new growth on some of my roses and a hazel tree in the nearby community orchard has lots of lovely catkins.
Thank you @Buttercupdays - I'm planning on doing my first ever "proper" mulch this spring. My local supplier does a mixture of fine horse manure and fine composted bark - do you think that's ok to use? Or should I go just for manure... or even mushroom compost? I was a bit overwhelmed with the choice!!
Growth on roses @Lizzie27 ! I better get pruning mine then!!
Spring's definitely coming early in Brighton! I've got buds on all my plants except the clematis & honeysuckle. Also, there's some little bits of fresh growth on the potted blueberry and an acer, and crocus buds coming out in the lawn so excited to see some survived the squirrel/fox heists!
Bark or mushroom compost are not as retentive as well rotted strawy muck.
I used a load of old sheep muck from my shed on my south facing border last year and despite the drought and the hot weather my plants needed very little watering. Just as well as we rely on our own spring and can't afford to use the water for plants. I have lots of water butts
Thank you @Buttercupdays that's really helpful - I'll get the strawy horse manure one instead then! I do also have some water butts but we didn't have any rain at all here for a good 3 months over the summer so they're of limited use! Do I dig in the straw based horse manure or just leave it on top?
@puschkinia how lovely It's always so nice to see new spring growth
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The younger willow branches also seem to have taken on a golden hue and buds on several species are looking less dormant.
I can see 00's of crocus just popping through the soil in my front garden too
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
@Dovefromabove very true on the midges! But I think I'd accept that - I'm a yearly visitor to the Galloway coast and it's the perfect temperature for me in summer. Think I might struggle being there full time though and not able to get my seed-sowing started early @Fairygirl
I wish there was a way to quickly get shade and moisture into my garden for the baking summers we now get down here - I've planted trees but it'll be a good few years before they provide decent shade. My soil is soilscape 7 - not clay like most of the area, but very free draining and stoney, so moisture retention is a massive problem. If a hosepipe ban comes along I'm buggered!
I don't know about not having winter yet @Fairygirl this was over the new year near Ben Nevis where we stayed. 🥶😆
Where were you staying? Your pic looks more like Glencoe.
The final area of 'permanent snow' which is on Nevis disappeared a few years ago because of milder temps. There's a chap who has been monitoring it for years.
There are also plants which grow at high altitude on our mountains that are now going to disappear because it's too warm for them and they've nowhere to go...
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Growth on roses @Lizzie27 ! I better get pruning mine then!!
@puschkinia how lovely