Friday, February 27

How does it compare? - February

This year I am going back through last year's photos to compare how things were looking in the garden and on the plot last year with the same dates this year.

Last year things in the garden looked like this ...
The middle photos was taken on the 22 February 2014 and the other two on 25 February 2014.


The hellebores and snowdrops under the magnolia are at about the same stage as they were last year. Paying closer attention this year I think I now know why some clumps of hellebore always seem to flower earlier than others. The earlier flowers sit in patches of sunlight earlier.
When the sun is lower less light filters through and these lucky plants that are bathed in early sunlight respond by flowering earlier.



The photo is the middle above was taken on 22 February, the top photo on 24 February and the bottom one on 25 February.

The crocuses are at about the same stage but as it was a sunny morning the flowers are open. The daffodils are behind - more so around the bird bath.  I am behind too as I haven't yet tidied up the dead fern fronds. The daffodils in the last photo are in the front garden so have the benefit of any sunshine throughout the day should it actually choose to shine. It would appear that the daffodil bulbs have suffered more from the dull February weather than have the crocuses, hellebores and snowdrops.

Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett

22 comments:

  1. Every time you post about your bulbs and flowers I am beginning to realise how much has disappeared in my garden ~ even my primroses are gone!
    I especially like the fourth photo, is that an Elder tree you have there? Such a difference in 12 months.
    Daffodils are dreadfully behind this year, which is disastrous for we folk in Wales, as it is St David's Day on Sunday and daffs are in very short supply!
    ~~~Deb

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    1. It's a mahonia Deb If you compare in front of the bird bath you can see that we have lost some little irises.

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  2. That is funny. Did you and Mark get together to write about the same thing? Or is it just a weird coincidence? We are going to be so late for spring this year. But at least we have some above freezing weather forecasted for next week.

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    1. No discussion with Mark, I haven't read his post yet, Daphne

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  3. I suppose there's lots of things which could either bring plants on or cause them to be delayed, temperature, sunlight, rainfall and no two years are the same.

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    1. This is true, Jo it's interesting to see that different plants seem to respond differently and are obviously triggered by different conditions.

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  4. The daffs are well behind last year here too. Probably even more of a difference than in your garden. February Gold have just made it by a whisker though!

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    1. A blast of sunshine today, Jessica and they are speeding up, - one February Gold may just make it in time.

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  5. I haven't quite got round to comparing previous pictures yet but I am almost certain that the Hellebores, Snowdrops and Crocus are just about at similar stages. I remember commenting on a post I wrote for bloom day earlier this month that although we had a frost free winter last year and this year constant cold weather and frosts has made little or no difference to their bloom times. As has been said above, the Daffs though are quite a bit behind.
    I must find time to do a proper comparison at some point over the weekend.

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    1. Today's sunshine has given the daffodils a boost, Angie I wonder whether they will now burst into bloom?

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  6. My first Irises (Kathleen Hodgkin) have opened this week. Only one other is showing any colour at all - and I think many of them have "disappeared". I suspect that mice like eating the bulbs! Only a couple of Daffs (Soleil D'Or) are open. I think last year the bulbs were generally earlier.

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    1. The KH irises in the front garden have bulked up well, Mark They benefit from day long sun there and they bulbs at the back are sparser, I have heard that some mini irises are a problem to keep flowering year on. We'll see what happens with our new varieties next year,

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  7. Lovely little irises in that first photo, and everything a bit more advanced I think. I'm in no hurry though, I do enjoy the winter.

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  8. I wish we were that advanced. There is still a good foot of snow on the garden!

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    1. We haven't really had any snow here this year, Alain

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  9. It's an interesting comparison. I think things are confused at the moment as the weather is to and froing between mild and cold spells. How lovely the snowdrops and iris are.xxx

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    1. I agree the snowdrops and irises ARE lovely, Dina

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  10. An interesting comparison Sue. I think my snowdrops have lasted longer this year maybe because of the colder and drier weather. I'm not sure when my little daffies in the garden first opened last year but those in pots by the greenhouse are at least a week behind. They should be over the starting line just in time for St. David's Day though :)

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    1. The snowdrops in more shady areas do last longer don't they, Anna?

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  11. I do think my garden is more advanced than last year, it has certainly been a lot drier. Lovely photos as always x

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    1. We have had less rain, Jo but as Martyn reported in his post today, our soil is still very wet,

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