During the last quarter of March 2018 we anxiously awaited the arrival of the "Beast from the East". When he came he brought snow, and in his wake I took the following photograph - we were lucky in our area as we only saw a light scattering of snow.
"The Beast" created a chilly scene and there were very few signs of Spring.
We have just returned from a trip to Devon during the same March period as last year. In comparison the skies were blue, it was very warm, and the sun shone every day.
All of these plants were photographed on the 25th March 2019. They were either growing wild on the banks of Devon country lanes or in two gardens visited.
Why are plants that normally bloom several weeks apart flowering at the same time? I can only assume that it must be the result of the long hot 2018 summer followed by the mild winter, or is it climate change?
I've just checked back through my March blogposts for the last few years - a complete hotch-potch of glorious sunny days, very frosty mornings and indeed snow. My father always maintained that there was no such thing as spring; the weather is always a mixture and the things we associate with spring all arrive at different times. It seems to be getting more and more varied as the years pass.
ReplyDeleteThe season this year is very confusing - last year at this time there was nothing growing apart from the odd spring flower, but I don't ever recall seeing Crown Imperials flowering alongside daffodils before.
DeleteHello Rosemary, When I lived in Ohio, I was somewhat of a naturalist, and spent a lot of time in the woods and fields examining the plants. I have noticed a lot of oddities, as well as short-term and long-term trends, but it is very difficult to notice suddenly a strange pattern and guess what causes it.
ReplyDeleteThe overall long-term pattern I have observed is that rare, delicate or useful plants disappear, while invasive plants (and animals) thrive. Mixtures of cool and warm weather can fool plants into blooming at the "wrong" time. Even so, there are strange years when nature seems to be giving of its best, and everything thrives at once!
--Jim
Hello Jim - this Spring season is so totally different from last year. I have put it down to the vast differences in the weather. It will be interesting to see what next year brings. However, I have appreciated what lovely weather we are having at the moment.
DeleteYour photos are so beautiful! Such vivid and lifelike colours. I love fritillary, it's my favourite garden flower and I love lilies. My garden has only produced 6 daffodils this year, which are now fading. The bluebells are coming up, but to early for flowers yet. When we go out for walks all the neighbouring gardens are a profusion of flowers that seem far to early ( perhaps due to the mild winter and the warm weather at the end of February ) my garden seemed to have missed it!! Best, Jane x
ReplyDeleteHello Jane - I saw bluebells in flower down in Devon -but how strange is that. Not fully open but should be in a few days time if the sunshine continues.
DeleteSorry your garden has missed out, but at least you can enjoy your neighbours gardens.
It is lovely to see these signs of spring. It was coming along nicely here but overnight it snowed. Grrr!
ReplyDeleteWith a bit of luck the snow will soon pass on its way David.
DeleteI agree everything is maturing at rather an advanced rate. I guess it could well be because of our long hot summer last year and a very mild winter. Each year so different! B x
ReplyDeleteWe walked through one garden in Devon and everyone was commenting on how surprised they were to see so much in bloom.
DeleteI think it is the old inventor in his castle at Nutwood - again.
ReplyDeleteHe wasn't one of my favourite characters - I preferred Tiger Lily.
DeleteI read in the Daily Mail this sort of spring was expected there thanks to the warm 2018 summer and mild winter. The article predicted that the fragrance from all the scented flowers would be a lot stronger. It also said the blooms would be more abundant and bigger this year. I will have to rely on your opinion to see if that happens. Enjoy your gorgeous spring!
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the blooms are far more plentiful this year. We saw so many magnolia petals strewn across the ground simply because there were far too many flowers for the tree to sustain.
DeleteSpring here is always different, due I suppose to weather patterns both through the winter and into March which can be either a tough month or unusually warm. We have to take what Mother Nature gives us - flopping old sheets over budding hydrangeas when it suddenly decides a freezing night is needed again, or throwing off heavy 'gardening clothes' and digging out a pair of shorts and short-sleeved T-shirt, as we did this weekend when it was glorious to be digging and delving again in comfort, and surrounded by color at long last.
ReplyDeleteToday it's raining, tonight we will stoke one last fire in the hearth as it will be cold and we plan to watch episode 1 of 'Mrs. Wilson' - have you seen it?
So, so happy your weather in Devon was so lovely - your photos are amazing. Where you stayed was just a short drive from my English home - between Torquay and Newton Abbot! Sorry I didn't get to write you more whilst you were there - as you know it was such a stressful week for us with J's accident etc. I was thinking of you though and hoping the Devon lanes and gardens were filled with beauty - looks like they were!
Hugs - Mary
Hope that you enjoy watching Mrs Wilson tonight Mary - the actress who is Mrs Wilson is actually played by her granddaughter, I don't know it you knew that.
DeleteIt was just like summer in Devon - we visited Coleton Fishacre and everyone there was remarking on how warm it was and about the abundance of flowers - we were all taken by surprise as the flowering suddenly happened as if by magic.
I realised when we were down there, and saw signs to Torquay that it was very near to your childhood home.
You would have loved to see the banks of primroses they were absolutely smothered in hundreds of them.
Hope that Jasmine is making good progress - it is such a shock when something like that happens.
What a contrast between one Spring and another! No flowers here yet, of course.
ReplyDeleteI heard that you have just had another dose of snow.
DeleteVery pretty shots!
ReplyDeleteThanks William
DeleteI am finding that weather patterns seem to be changing. While in Britain the summer of 2018 will be remembered for the intense heat, here in the Mediterranean the temperatures were less high than usual and we even had rain during the summer months - which is quite unusual. I loved the fact that it was much less hot than usual but I am concerned as to what these strange weather patters may mean.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that I do not like it too hot, and it did become too hot last summer - I even started dreaming about the cooler winter months, that is until they arrived.
DeleteI just made exactly that same comment to another blog fellow as to how amazing there seems to not be the normal sequel of flowering any longer , everything flowers at the same time. I guess we just have to adjust ....
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is very strange especially when I compare last years photos to these.
DeleteBeautiful shots. So pretty that I scrolled through twice! We are having strange weather in Texas too. We keep waiting for Spring to arrive and stay!
ReplyDeleteThe weather patterns around the world appear to be crazy.
DeleteMust be a great saying - the beast from the east - :) rather amused.
ReplyDeleteAll the photos and flowers are pretty.
As to them blooming all together - some years in the past have been like that, the weather certainly says when they bloom as in the temperature of the soil, but how wonderful to have such a display of colour.
I think that we can finally say that Spring is definitely here Margaret.
DeleteGood point. Nature's clock is probably running out of kilter as everything is interconnected on many levels, starting with the feeding mycelium underground that powers everything else above. like a vast, very complex machine, we are only starting to understand what happens below the surface and how important it is to all living things in the last decade. It's been a very mild winter so far. Lovely set of spring images. People always look forward to UK summers but for me its always been spring. There is no such thing as climate change :o)
ReplyDeleteI suppose you either go along with the consensus of climate change or you don't.
DeleteWhat absolutely gorgeous flowers photos, Rosemary. I love the white on blue one the best! It is so interesting to know that the flowers are all coming together like that, as we have had some unusual floral happenings also. Some lilies have bloomed six months out of season. It certainly seems to me that the climate has changed, and quite a lot from what I knew as within the parameters of normal fifty years ago.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are right Patricia - we have just been watching a wonderful series of three BBC films on Australian wildlife. It mentioned some of the problems that are happening in your country, including the fact that due to increasingly high temperatures the chemical content of eucalyptus has changed. Because koala bears live only on eucalyptus leaves, the leaves are not now hydrating them sufficiently and the Koala bears are not receiving enough moisture. In the last major heatwave it said that 25% of the population of koala bears had died of thirst.
DeleteDearest Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteHaha, love your photos, especially that second one from the top is stunning but you kind of ruin it for mixing in climate change...
Your very own Margaret Thatcher phrased it best: 'Global warming provides a marvelous excuse for global socialism'.
We have very cool days too but there are plenty of cherry blossoms to be admired!
Hugs,
Mariette
I simply posed a question.
DeleteYour reply is gone... got the email notification though! 'Dear Mariette - we were not admirers of Margaret Thatcher'.
DeleteThat is okay, we think everybody is entitled to his or her opinion! 😘
Signs of springtime! So lovely and beautiful...
ReplyDeleteHave a great week Rosemary, take care!
Titti
Lovely to hear from you Titti - do you think that we are in for another very hot summer?
DeleteYpu are a great photographer - this post is pure joy!
ReplyDelete