Talkback: Unseasonal weather - Talkback

11/11/2011 at 13:50

Primroses galore and primulas and wallflowers in my garden,Kate, so I am looking forward to my snowdrops. Some of the perennials like valerian have a foot of new growth on them. They say variety is the spice of life so we should welcome the change but there is something so comforting in the four seasons, I agree. When visitors admire, say the autumn colour, in the Botanic Garden I usually reply - oh, do visit as least once a season because there is always something spectacular. On Thursday it was the buttercup yellow of the leaves on the tulip tree and the Gingko biloba - spellbinding and in season!

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11/11/2011 at 14:17

My very confused rhododendron has burst into flower at the end of October, and is still looking beautiful. I expect it will be at the expense of flowering next spring though

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11/11/2011 at 15:37

I've still got Sweet Peas flowering away, I haven't seen any bulbs coming up thank goodness. I try to put the garden to bed for the winter but plants just keep on going.

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11/11/2011 at 22:26

I have been very worried over my Spring bulbs, as they have all sprouted at least a few inches clear of the soil... I do hope they will make it into flower again in the spring... Very unexpected in the West Midlands in November! And I couldn't agree more, I look forward to each new seasons arrival too. It's actually quite disappointing now they have become so blurred. I hope next year we can have a return to normal service... At the moment I even have a Clematis Montana still going strong!

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12/11/2011 at 14:01

I am so pleased to discover other gardeners are experiencing abnormal growth in their gardens. My lovely small crab apple tree, covered in delightful red apples the size of hips, has started blossoming on every twig. Do I prune early or wait for frosts, assuming we have any,then hope all will return to normal next year?

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13/11/2011 at 18:44

I am also confused. As a devout veg grower I don't know much about flowering times. My daughter is getting married next September 22nd and I have been trying to see what would normally be in bloom but nothing is behaving normally. I have a blank canvas of a garden flower wise and want to plant it up for the photos. Would anyone be able to advise of purple,cream or white flowers that would be in bloom then. Also would a climber have settled enough if I put it in next spring.

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14/11/2011 at 01:17

My rhubarb has sprouted which is weird. Bronte - go for things with a longer or repeat flowering season so less chance the seasons can play tricks. Sweet peas can be trained over obelisks/arches and keep flowering as long as cut. Fushias also good goers and robust. My white japonese anenomes are lovely in Sept but wind and rain will batter them. I'd also be tempted to go for cream/white/purple variegated evergreens such as ivy, euonymous, ajuga that would provide a good backdrop (and will look good in winter). If the flowers go wrong you can import some emergencies into pots last minute.

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14/11/2011 at 11:25

I too like the difference in the seasons. There's something comforting about making aeverything "cosy" for winter and, having a small garden, I hate taking out the last of the summer bedding when still in flower to plant bulbs etc. Howerver, this year I have been glad of the extended season as I broke my ankle in early Oct.so haven't been able to garden since. My husband and teenage son are not exactly keen gardeners so I daren't leave it to them!

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14/11/2011 at 11:28

By the way, I broke my ankle when I stepped on a windfall apple so be careful out there.

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14/11/2011 at 12:21

Thanks for the warning, Marygold, as I have to pick Bramblys today for a charity do tomorrow. I really need a hard hat now, just to be safe, as some are as big as footballs and the tree is huge.

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14/11/2011 at 13:15

I have an allotment in Hastings, East Sussex, I also have raspberries, strawberries, very healthy broad bean plants & I am concerned that when it turns cold they will suffer and die off. Yesterday, whilst weeding I saw that I now have crocus showing, my dahlias are still blooming although very slowly .... when will it all end, will spring ever be in springtime again?

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14/11/2011 at 20:47

Thankyou eggy@greenacres I went on a wander in my lunch hour and was reminded of cream and purple fushias again they seemed to be everywhere.lovely

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15/11/2011 at 20:11

I was going to cut the cosmos down at the weekend but could't as they were flowering so well. We had a frost this morning but they still seem happy.

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16/11/2011 at 00:00

I'm sure it's not the first time in history that these seasonal irregularities have come about. Marvel in it and enjoy it while it lasts, rest assured the cold will come and don't worry the plants will recover.

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17/11/2011 at 13:27

I still have many of my Oriental Poppies flowering. But I am wondering if because of this, will they flower next year,or be to tired to flower when they are supposed to? But I do have many many seedling that I have to plant just in case the parent plant dies!

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18/11/2011 at 14:24

This year really is strange my Yuca has started to flower.

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18/11/2011 at 14:27

P.S i have just bought an apple tree and it is starting to get leaves.

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18/11/2011 at 16:24

On one recent gardeners world programme Monty Don was insulating his greenhouse with bubble wrap and he talked about a strong double sided tape can you tell me tha name of this and where to purchase it thank you

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19/11/2011 at 09:19

just a word on daffs some do come in to growth now as they flower in febuary so thats more trhe norm really but as for climate change definatly it is becoming a longer season for the gardens

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19/11/2011 at 09:23

suppose the only real good thing about mild autums is if you take cuttings later in the year as ive done this year they will have good time to root ie ive taking fuchsias penstomens and planted up small spring bulbs in to module trays for spring colour they are growing at an fast pace so thats wat will happen hopefully there will be plentry of spring colour when spring comes gerry n ireland