Oh yes, we have snowdrops too...
Even the garden fire we had last summer bought some advantages and benefits despite the unpleasant nature of the event. It's great to reap the positive side of it now although admittedly we would have preferred not to have undergone it in the first place.I don't want to tempt fate for winter is not yet over but for us the temperatures have been extremely mild. The risk of snow, freezes, and very low temperatures are still there but the more we inch towards the traditional spring months the risk also decreases.
Begonias already sprouting
Acer heptaphlebium already leafing out
All Farfugiums remained evergreen
If the trend continues then this winter would have been the mildest winter UK has ever experienced that we know of (weather geeks out there know otherwise?). Mild but very stormy...Personally, I am grateful and thankful for our mild winter. Thankful that we had a decent summer last year followed by a mild winter which have made things easier for us as we underwent a very stressful period in our lives (living through an extensive house renovation).
Daphne odora 'Rebecca' in bloom
and so is Clematis armandii
However despite the mild winter we have had, for others there have been far more serious and negative consequences. The warmer temperatures we have benefited from were also paired with storms and relentless rains that has severely affected several parts of the UK and their residents, causing floods that have devastated large parts of the South West and the Thames drainage basin. It was also paired with snow storms and prolonged cold spells across the Atlantic, and we have seen images on both TV and from our blogging friends of the cold weather the North American continent has suffered.As an exotic gardener, a mild winter brings about so many personal advantages. How many 'on the edge of hardiness' plants do we have that have not even been close to seeing the edge this year, ensuring that they'll do even better in the coming growing season?
This Phoenix roebelenii stayed out all winter
So how mild was the winter?
So mild that even this Vietnamese Coriander - Persicaria odorata remained evergreen
And this Persicaria 'Red Dragon' is leafing out from old stems. In previous winters it gets cut back down to the ground
But a warmer winter is not all good news for the garden, it is mostly good yes but it also has some consequences. A few plants that do need a winter chill to do well in the summer might not do well this time. And what about pests and diseases that are usually kept in check and regulated by the cold spells we usually have in the winter, cold spells that never happened, will they be extra aggressive this year?
Better keep an extra eye out for these bugs and nasties, much earlier than we normally would. And extra vigilant too especially when it starts to warm up in the following weeks to come.
Mild winter is very desirable but there is still no room for complacency, otherwise the consequences might take over and overtake the benefits...
Mark :-)
