On 24/03/2014 09:57, Martin Brown wrote:
On 23/03/2014 11:22, David.WE.Roberts wrote:

Our Perlagonia have been left outside under shelter over winter
(Suffolk).

A couple are now flowering and the rest look happy.

I have had some in flower in a hanging basket in North Yorkshire on and
off all winter although I suspect today's very sharp air frost may do
for them. Until last week there had been a few ground frosts but no air
frosts at all. Obviously it is frosty now it is plum blossom time

Is it usual to have flowers out in March?

No. Nor is having daffodils out in February but that also happened this
year. Some tender fucshias are also growing in the VH hanging baskets.

Or is this just a sign of a mild winter and early spring?

Yes. Calendula have been in continuous flower all winter up here and
look a bit strange with the spring blooms above them.

Also anthurrinums (sp?) have started regrowing new plants from the tops
of their flower spikes which I presume must be their natural behaviour
in their native habitat where they don't get killed off by frosts.

The weirdest thing I have in flower at the moment is a bright red
papaver somniferum flower in amongst the daffodils. Insanely early!

It was looking a bit scrappy this morning after the hard frost

--
Regards,
Martin Brown