Signs of spring in December!

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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
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S. Lanarkshire
Mine are coming up too. It's lovely to see, but a bit worrying because we haven't had the cold yet, and that hurts when it hits new growth.
Even the anaemone's are putting up new leaves, and the primroses are in flower as well.

You're right though :) it is a cheer up to see them :)
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
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Yes it is a worry. I found a new leaf on my apple tree when I went to prune it yesterday. Lots of buds too.
I've seen celandine leaves and pennywort.nettles and dock. Also wild chervil . I do hope we don't get a terrible cold snap now. It will be quite disastrous.
Christmas day I even saw a butterfly! Very dozy but still moving slowly. It's crazy.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,354
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Bedfordshire
A lot of signs of spring in the Midlands too. Not something I find cheering when it is all too early. I am surprised at you Woody girl, that you should find such signs cheering when you know the implications, even if there isn't a cold snap. With stuff starting early we are damned either way, if we have cold, lots of plants will get tender growth killed, if we don't, we will get a lot of insect pests and other plants will get stressed having not really been able to shut down over winter.

We saw the squirrels doing their courtship chases, and the mallards pairing up on Christmas day, there are bulbs coming up everywhere, and there are various plants in flower that have no business doing so at this time of year.


Chris
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
It can get a lot worse here and that is yet to come. January and February can be brutally snowy and cold.
I'm stock-piling useful food scrap for the Ravens.
My indoor house plants begin to wake up, probably the change in day length.

Must pot up some herb seed. I have lights set up in my lower kitchen.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
We had red admirals and harlequin butterflies in the ivy right through into November this year.

48941413728_6b18d62dc7_k.jpg


Now all those ivy flowers are ripening into fruits, and the woodpigeons and the bullfinches are busy checking them regularly.
The willows ought to have dropped all their leaves and gone dormant, but they're still green. If this carries on they won't be ready to be harvested in early February.

M
 

Woody girl

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Mar 31, 2018
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I'm in full agreement with you Chris. I did say it is a worry. But for a few moments it did cheer me. The reason being my various physical problems are much worse in the winter so any sign of spring is welcome as it brings the thought that winter is nearly over. And soon I can get out and about more instead of being stuck inside on my own for days on end.
Yes I'm fully aware of the implications and not happy about them at all. But I'm doing all I can to do my bit towards mitigating my personal carbon footprint.
I would love to go to sweden again but won't as I won't ever fly again anywhere, no car etc etc.....
Don't begrudge me a moment of joy and wonder at nature. And the thought that soon I can move again with only pain instead of agony .!
The wider problem is out of my personal control.. much as I'd like to replace certain government persons myself and sort it out. It's probably gone past the point of no return about ten years ago. I've been very active trying to bring attention to this for 20yrs and been told many times I'm talking rubbish and scaremongering. ... so I'm totaly aware of the future problems in store for our kids and grandkids even if I'm not around to see it.
Signs of spring show hope for the comming year... so I'm hoping that more people will get on board with realy doing something positive. What better signal than spring in December?
I'm sure most here don't need telling. If you are in tune with nature it's been obvious for a long while. ... but there is always joy in nature for those who care to look.
 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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Florida
On this forum we’ve been discussing climate change off and on for years. Does this really surprise anybody?
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
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W.Sussex
I walked up our nearest highest Down today and partway up was greeted with a floral perfume. It was these things, I’m not sure what they are, but look like the non-native Elephants Ears. Fragrant flowers at the very end of December!

48-F9-B823-332-C-477-C-A6-D5-FC6-A0084219-B.jpg



5-C0984-F5-3138-401-A-87-B6-0-C9073-E3-ABFE.jpg
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I still have raspberries trying to ripen fruit. I have no idea how they've 'set' though because there's nothing flittering around them that I can see. Even the moths seem to be hibernating.

M
 

Bob

Forager
Sep 11, 2003
199
2
Dorset
Saw several daffodils in flower on a local verge on 28th December. And self-set primroses in the garden blooming every month of the year too.
 

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