The usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time of year' thread
 

I thought I'd start the usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time
of year' thread. (Actually, I know someone has already started that with
the twice-flowering Magnolia).

Anyway:
About a week ago, my water lilies finally started flowering - on the
same day as the first of the Cyclamen hederifolium.

The day before yesterday, I picked my first Viburnum bodnantense.

And the indoor jasmine which scented our porch in April, and which I put
outside for the summer, is about to open its flowers again.

Finally - one of our Clematis alpinas is in full bloom again, but I
think that's usual, isn't it?
--
Kay

The usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time of year' thread
 

On Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:23:34 +0100, K wrote:

I thought I'd start the usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time
of year' thread.

I have two double-flowered hellebores in full flower on my allotment.

Pam in Bristol

Hello Kay, Do you know what causes this out of season blooming ?
Has anyone come up with any likely explanations ?
I know it may sound a little strange ( I've been called worse ), but I
find this very interesting. Does anybody do anything to deliberately
cause this to happen, and if so, what ?

The usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time of year' thread
 

Tim Perry writes

K;813425 Wrote:
I thought I'd start the usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong
time

of year' thread. (Actually, I know someone has already started that
with
the twice-flowering Magnolia).

Anyway:
About a week ago, my water lilies finally started flowering - on the
same day as the first of the Cyclamen hederifolium.

The day before yesterday, I picked my first Viburnum bodnantense.

And the indoor jasmine which scented our porch in April, and which I
put
outside for the summer, is about to open its flowers again.

Finally - one of our Clematis alpinas is in full bloom again, but I
think that's usual, isn't it?

Hello Kay, Do you know what causes this out of season blooming ?
Has anyone come up with any likely explanations ?
I know it may sound a little strange ( I've been called worse ), but I
find this very interesting. Does anybody do anything to deliberately
cause this to happen, and if so, what ?

I don't do anything (though professionals tinker with things to alter
blooming times for flower shows). Presumably it's all to do with the
natural triggers. For instance, something flowering in the spring may be
triggered by a period of short days (and will be relatively unaffected
by weather). But another spring flowerer my be triggered by a long wet
spell, in which case after this summer it's thinking spring is half way
through! Or it may be temperature that triggers flowering (I think I
read that cymbidiums are triggered by a 20 deg between night and day
temperatures), or a long dry period (which is why some bulbs like to be
baked in the summer).

Water lilies like warmth and sun - and I've had a bit of an over-growth
of water forget-me-not which has kept the water below cool, and that,
added to having no sun, means the water lilies are late. The viburnum
starts in autumn, as does the cyclamen, so presumably both assume the
amount of rain we have had recently means it already *is* autumn.

I haven't a clue what the jasmine thinks it's doing!

I've bought quite a few things from Scotts Nursery in Somerset, and I've
found that over the first 2 or 3 years with me they've changed their
flowering period to cope with our late spring. For example, tayberries
which fruited in June in their first year have long since settled into
July-August fruiting. And that synchronisation is I think why my
wisterias were as good as ever this year, whereas the Devon-Cornwall
contingent were saying their's had been affected by late frosts.



--
Kay

The usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time of year'thread
 

K wrote:

And the indoor jasmine which scented our porch in April, and which I put
outside for the summer, is about to open its flowers again.

I'd be very disappointed if my 'indoor' jasmine (J. polyanthum) wasn't
in flower at this time of year. I grow it outside here and it has a
major flowering in March, sporadic flowering until late August and
then a serious build up to a good autumn and early winter show. Mine
is a mass of buds again, but it does this every year. It's the nature
of the beast.

Viburnum x bodnantense often flowers precociously in autumn down here,
well before the leaves colour and fall. So much so that I tend to
look upon it as having a very long season of flower terminating in
early spring.

It's all part of life's rich pattern as they say.

Thanks Kay, that is very interesting and I shall have to find out more,

it sounds like quite a 'dark art' among the professional exhibitors.

I have saved your reply to my files, I'm not so old that I think I know

it all, and am always very glad of more information.

Didn't mean to 'hijack' your thread, just could not resist asking.

Thanks, Tim.

The usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time of year' thread
 

Dave Poole writes
K wrote:

And the indoor jasmine which scented our porch in April, and which I put
outside for the summer, is about to open its flowers again.

I'd be very disappointed if my 'indoor' jasmine (J. polyanthum) wasn't
in flower at this time of year. I grow it outside here and it has a
major flowering in March, sporadic flowering until late August and
then a serious build up to a good autumn and early winter show. Mine
is a mass of buds again, but it does this every year. It's the nature
of the beast.

I think it goes to show the difference between your climate and ours. I
notice repeatedly that the SW posters talk about plants being ';just
going over' when mine are still in bud.

Viburnum x bodnantense often flowers precociously in autumn down here,
well before the leaves colour and fall. So much so that I tend to
look upon it as having a very long season of flower terminating in
early spring.

Our season has been getting longer as the winters have become milder.
But August is the earliest yet. I expect it now to continue till early
May.

--
Kay

The usual autumn 'things flowering at the wrong time of year'thread
 

On 2/9/08 11:09, in article , "K"
wrote:

Dave Poole writes
K wrote:

And the indoor jasmine which scented our porch in April, and which I put
outside for the summer, is about to open its flowers again.

I'd be very disappointed if my 'indoor' jasmine (J. polyanthum) wasn't
in flower at this time of year. I grow it outside here and it has a
major flowering in March, sporadic flowering until late August and
then a serious build up to a good autumn and early winter show. Mine
is a mass of buds again, but it does this every year. It's the nature
of the beast.

I think it goes to show the difference between your climate and ours. I
notice repeatedly that the SW posters talk about plants being ';just
going over' when mine are still in bud.

There can be a lot of difference between us and e.g. The Garden House, Kay.
That's on the moor and we're only just not! The CIs can easily be 4 weeks
ahead and so on. We noticed a Camellia with loads of buds on it the other
day and I must go back and look at its label to see which it is. I'm sort
of presuming a C. sasanqua but it might not be!

Viburnum x bodnantense often flowers precociously in autumn down here,
well before the leaves colour and fall. So much so that I tend to
look upon it as having a very long season of flower terminating in
early spring.

Our season has been getting longer as the winters have become milder.
But August is the earliest yet. I expect it now to continue till early
May.


Our Embothrium bloomed twice this year but last time a Eucryphia did this,
it turned up its toes and died having flowered in June and January. We can
only assume that the second flowering was a last ditch attempt to propagate
itself. It reminds me of the drought of 1976 when oak trees produced many
more acorns than usual in an effort to survive the drought, presumably.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon