On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 12:30:57 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

We have sprigs of mimosa in the house! I don't think I've ever known it
bloom so early and neither has Ray, who has known it for much longer than I
have!

I noticed that Acacia baileyana is out here in Torquay, as are a few
bits of dealbata. For baileyana, the timing is about right, but
dealbata is a good 3 weeks ahead of itself. Dare I mention that
Strelitzia reginae growing near to the fence in the banana border has
a flower spike peeking out?

This looks to be a second 'non-winter'- here with only a couple of
light frosts so far. For many years, all of the cold weather was
usually out of the way by the end of January, allowing spring to start
in Feb. Last year brought a change. No cold weather at all until mid
January, by which time everything here was growing away madly. Then
came a 2 week long cold spell, with several minus 2C nights and days
when temps failed to rise above 5C. The damage caused in my garden
was the worst I've experienced.

Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November