Bob Hobden wrote:

"Sacha" wrote ..
Thank goodness the wind has gone, at least for now. We didn't have much
damage here but the lanes are absolutely strewn with small branches,
twigs,
leaves etc. It's been horrendous and some poor people have lost their
lives.
But we still couldn't call it really cold here - wonder if it's actually
going to 'do' winter or whether it will remain as it is and we'll have a
genuinely early spring. One of our camellias is out earlier than usual
and
the fronds of one of the tree ferns have barely turned colour at all.

Yes we have a camellia in full flower now ,Madame de Strekaloff, about two
months early although the others seem to still have their buds tight, our
Tree fern hasn't changed since last summer at all and our fish were
searching for food like mad yesterday and today. The citrus trees are
flowering well and fruit is ripening. If I don't get my Pleonies repotted
soon they will be starting into flower and I won't be able to this year.
Part of next doors fence blew over into our garden yesterday taking our
Clematis alpina trellis with it, so that plant has had to be cut right back
to untangle it from the debris, no flowers this year.

And we can't get onto the allotment it's so waterlogged, so that's well
behind, the Thames looks like it might flood again and we still have a
hosepipe ban!!! Something wrong somewhere.

--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

This could be a description from the med! The weather seems completely
out of whack.

Here in central Scotland the kids are still waiting for our first snow
and we've hardly had a frost. As we live at 900ft it's almost unheard
of. The wind has been horrendous all week and blown my new cedar over
twice (about to replant much deeper!) , and all the rivers are on flood
warnings, but it's not cold. The garden is showing every sign of
getting ready for spring so I'm now worried that it's all going to get
going and then a really cold spell will kill everything off. Temporary
glitch or the shape of things to come? I don't know - only last year we
had a long, hard winter season with the snow starting in early
November. No wonder the plants are confused...

regards

Lizzie