Spring signs start after Christmas but it it is a very long season. It will go on for several months. Autumn is also long and slow. Signs start in October but go on until almost Christmas. We have a temperate maritime climate so no extremes of anything, at least not compared with a Continental climate. As for summer ... that is sometimes hardly existent.😉

This picture was taken December 2nd last year.

This one is the same patch of crocuses on Jan 26th last year.

That kind of climate is something I haven't experienced before. Although, our winters are starting to be reduced at least to a lot less snow. The past 3 years we've hardly had any. That is nothing like what this same area experienced when I was growing up.

So when you say summer is almost nonexistant - do you not have beach weather? My favorite seasons are spring and fall, so if you are going to extend any season they would be my choice. And the most comfortable weather for gardening. Lucky you. :-)

Summer highs where I am rarely go over 80f. Average is more like 60ish. There are beach days but you never know when they will be even in July or August. Also, because there isn't consistent heat the land doesn't really warm up much so even if the air is warm there isn't the residual heat you'd get in a hotter climate. Plus we get plenty of rain and wind so things cool down. On the other hand it is rare to have winter days when it is too cold to go out for a walk or to potter in the garden, provided you dress appropriately.

If you ever go to the UK at any time of the year take wet weather gear and sweaters.

It sounds like a really comfortable climate. And I wouldn't mind no higher temps above 80F. But - on the other hand, I wonder if you have trouble growing heat loving vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers?

I can't grow peppers outdoors. Tomatoes bred for our climate can be successful but are not always reliable. Basil I have to grow under glass. On the other hand even in midsummer lettuce is happy and in many years hardly any watering is needed.

Much like floral, I also live in a maritime climate and that maritime influence does tend to moderate any extremes. We also experience cool summers and very mild winters, It is not out of the realm of possibility that we don't experience any real frost.....except maybe once or twice a season. January 4 and I still have snapdragons and nasturtiums in flower!

The biggest difference for us is that it is very dry here in summer and rains tend to concentrate in the winter months. I don't like the wet so I don't garden much in winter. 😆

My little bulbocodium narcissus are up...with visibly fattening flower buds. I think they will be fully open by the end of January. They come in various shades of yellow, pale yellow, cream and white. I love these tiny hoop petticoats as much as snowdrops, for being tiny harbingers of spring.

We just have the first snow today. Yesterday when visiting a friend I saw daffodils leaves popping up in the ground. I went back home and checked mine and nothing showed.

Not the sign of spring but rather the lingering memory of a splendid fall

The increasing daylight is the most welcome sign of changing seasons. Almost 4pm and still light enough to take a ball on the dogwalks. Getting outside at least twice a day (or risk the furious glare and nudging nose of the sheepdog) is enough to fend off the worst of SAD.

Hey @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK, thank you lots for this thread.

Last night on the news there was a story with an accompanying video showing some cherry blossoms in Victoria BC Canada. Crazy I say when one compares it to other parts of Canada...even in my relatively temperate locale it has been around -15C/5F this week;

(For those interested, jump to 29:35 for the start of the short clip (to 30:05) at

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video/c3054773-ctv-news-toronto-at-six-for-tuesday--january-7--2025)

That looks like Prunus x subhirtella 'Autumnalis', winter flowering cherry. So it's not behaving particularly strangely. They start showing blossoms here in November and bloom sporadically for weeks until the main show in February/March. But perhaps it's unusual for Victoria?

But perhaps it's unusual for Victoria?

Yes.

(A friend I know who resides in Victoria has told me that so far this winter, unusually, it has yet to get to 0C)

But perhaps it's unusual for Victoria?

Yes.

(A friend I know who resides in Victoria has told me that so far this winter, unusually, it has yet to get to 0C)

I'm not sure I agree. Both Victoria and Vancouver share a climate very similar to mine. In fact, almost identical due to their close location and proximity to moderating maritime influences. While frosts or below freezing temps are not unheard of, they are not necessarily all that common either and are tending to be even less so with global warming.

Prunus Autumnalis is a reliable midwinter bloomer in most winters but not the most populous of trees so often a surprise when encountered.

(Doing some more looking online I see that in an average Victoria winter there will be 10 nights per year of below 0C temps and there have been only 4 completely freeze free winters; the earliest recorded was in 1925-26 and the most recent 02-03)

Seeing those temperatures, it isn't at all surprising that the cherry is flowering. We've had several frosts recently and the P. autumnalis are still happily blooming. They don't do one big bloom like other cherries but open flowers all winter when the weather suits them.

Just trying to point out that Canada has such a varied climate in even the dead of winter; in populous areas (e.g. -31C/-22F in Regina, the capital city of Saskatchewan and yet still thus far into winter always above 0C/32F in Victoria, the capital of BC, which gives rise to early spring flowers).

49 days until meterological spring.

Um attempting photos on sweethearts phone... And lo, here is a messy corner of the kitchen inxmasI xmas chaos... Plus yellow floor. There may be hope for me yet.

Horrible writing onminuscule keyboard. Apols

Success Suzy! So happy you were able to post this pic of your wonderfully colourful kitchen.

suzy jackson, perhaps Santa or someone can bring you a tablet. that is the reason why I never check mails on my smartphone. and I discovered that one can dictate to the smartphone and it types for you. needs a proper pronounciation though, and sometimes it has trouble with plant names....

Narcissus Rijnvelds Early Sensation and Arctostaphylos Upstanding definitely think it's spring in my garden! You can see them, and others, here: youtube.com/@JourneyGarden

These Cyclamen coum are in flower now in a local garden.

Wow, artinnature, you've got quite a bit in bloom! Nice!

Love those cyclamen. I grew some once but they petered out. I always meant to replace them but they are rarely on my radar - I feel like this is an underused plant that we don't see/hear enough about. I have to add this to the list I made last year, the one where I said I was going to write down all the plants I want to consider buying - the list that I keep forgetting to add to lol.

Yay rosa!!! We finally get to see that colorful kitchen that we've all been waiting to see! And hopefully that successful photo post means there are many more pictures to come!

:)

Dee

Not sure what variety these are but they're blooming now in London. Possibly Tamara???? They're a bit bashed down so they've clearly been out a while.

36 days until (meteorological) spring!

Behind the snow, spring is glistening

Prunus mume (flowering fragrant apricot) starts blooming

Thanks for sharing peeks of your flowers! Nothing blooming yet in my area (NE z7a). Celebrating the lengthening days. Sun set was 5pm today (no more 4pm-ish darkness)!

Snowdrops in full swing now.

Peonies sprouting

Indian Hawthorn new growth

Stonecrop Angelina Sedum

After day after day of dank grey the sun has finally appeared. So too have Crocus tommasinianus and bumble bees. The Tommies sit quietly in the grass, invisible until they open up in the sun.

Bee is hard to see. But it's there.

Not a bulb, but I look out for this Acacia dealbata, aka Mimosa, every year.

This is as far along as we are in north east Ohio. Most things are still underground but the process has begun! Spring is not too far away! Hurray!

Galanthus

Tulips under an ice sheet

Colchicum are always early risers

Narcissus tips. Say that three times.

Unfortunately, spring is on hold for at least another week here, as we are being warned we may have our biggest snowstorm of the season yet next Wednesday.

Witch hazel 'Wisley Supreme' didn't get the memo:

@UpperBayGardener (zone 7), your Witch hazel looks like wintersweet except the long and narrow petals. They are very lively and lovely

My hyacinths finally sprouted

And the daffodils

Late blooming ”flowering apricot”

Spring blooming camellia

We heard the thunder last week so spring has come finally

Oh we are back to winter again! The blooms are now covered in snow❄️

Prunus mume Bonita

Camellias

@UpperBayGardener (zone 7), my wintersweet ”Purple Heart” really looks like your Witch hazel 'Wisley Supreme'. It started blooming around Christmas and has now way passed its prime time, but the fragrance is still strong. I love to work on the deck in a warm day and such pleasure

The snow ❄️ is really pretty but I still hope it will be the last one this year

Loving all the gardens that are blooming already! We are still in single digits and ice covered backyard. So not even able to walk around out there. BUT ... it is the 20th of February!!! 3 weeks is daylight savings when the clocks spring ahead.

FANewbie - you have a great spring garden, that even snow doesn't take away from how pretty it is. Love your Prunus tree and Camellias.. Will they be fine once the snow melts off them?

David that's a nice looking Witch Hazel. Something I need to add to our garden.

Jeb, you are in zone 5 and you have all that coming up already?

Floral that Acacia is really nice for a spring plant and very different for me.

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, yes this winter is out of ordinary. The prunus mume and camellias shoukd be all right. There might be some damage to the blooms but the plants are going to be OK. Normally the biggest issue with the camellias are the wet spring so the flowers are balled. However with so cold temperature some buds and blooms might drop

@FANewbie, That's too bad you might lose your bloom for the spring, but, yes no lasting damage to the plants is a consolation. I hope we are all done with the extreme winter weather!

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, thanks! The prunus mume is winter blooming apricot . it has been blooming for 3 weeks and has passed its peak already. Just hope the camellia blooms will not suffer major damage. We are so eager for spring to come 🌱

Wild Daffodils, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, flowering on March 1st, St. Davids Day, in Wales.

Floral, such pretty daffodils on such a pretty country road! Your climate is so different than ours. I won't even see a crocus before the third week of March. And daffs not before April. We have had snow and we finally had a few warm days and I saw the lawn and some of the beds today for the first time in months. The snow drops are just starting to come up! That's about it.

I've been watching Gardener's World - last season. 2024 and they start the season in March and I can't use any of their timing. They seem so far ahead of me. It's more like my May garden, then March.

FANewbie - How are your camelias? March 1st already - are you past frosts there in VA?

I doubt it Prairiemoon, it was in the 60's here yesterday but we had a subarctic front push in here in NJ. My Camelias started to bloom in November and December, but the majority of the buds are holding off for later in March. The severe cold will hurt open flowers but does not bother the foliage. UK is a different planet, here we go from subarctic cold to subtropical heat in a matter of a few WEEKS!

@prairiemoon2 z6b MA, thanks for remembering my camelias. The 2 spring blooming camellias are doing good. Last snow only lasted one day and quickly melted. We have had 2 nights below 30 F but that hasn’t done much damage. coming into March we might still have frozen nights but hopefully none that will last long

Camellia looked from south facing windows

Just LOVE your camelias, FANewbie! That red is so bright. And camelia blooms are like carved wax, so pristine. I was just watching Gardener's World from last season and they had a garden by one of the members of U2 and he was collecting camelias and magnolias. Such a gorgeous property and some of the camelias were planted in a woodland. I have to go back and watch it again. Very inspiring.

They used to peak in March, now, it's November into March

That's interesting because the garden in England they were planted near water too. Beautiful!

Outside my front door (balanced precariously) on my treadle lathe.

Now I can actually manage to post pics, here is the chaotic greenhouse. Although using the rubbish keyboard on (sweetheart's) phone is challenging so have to swap between PC and idiotic phone - have avoided mobiles for years...not startig with one now as I cannot think of anything worse than being in contact with the world ALL THE TIME.