K wrote:

judith lea writes
However, the converse is that several shrubs are in bud.
I cannot understand why the bulbs and the shrubs are at odds with the
weather, surely if the bulbs are behind then it should follow that the
shrubs should not be early?????

No - different plants are triggered by different things. One might be
triggered by cold weather (so that if it starts growth after a period of
cold, it's ready to flower in the spring), another by increasing warmth,
another may be triggered by heavier rainfall, another by light levels.

This means that a warm wet December might accelerate growth in some
plants, while delaying growth in those which are still waiting for the
winter cold.
--
Kay

Thank you Kay for the explanation. As you know my gardening knowledge
is scant and that's why I enjoy being an urgler.

Something else I've noticed today is that last year's hollyhocks died
down and now there is new growth at the base, about 2 leaves high.
February here in France is really vicious and I expect that this new
growth will be lost, will my hollyhocks survive being started into
growth when they shouldn't have and then knocked back a second time in
February?