this barmy weather

[sandysman]

Could be gorse but it could also be Snowdrop or the Giant Dutch crocus. Snowdrops flower any time from Jan to March and the Giant Dutch crocus (purple) flowers from Feb, but with this weather who knows. (Source William Kirk's Guide to pollen loads).

 

[Vergilius]

mine are working gorse to, but very slow doing it, i am just worried that a hard spring freeze is going to catch everyone out

Hopefully... I am going skiing in April - don't want it like last year!

 

[rink123]

Well It's an old-wives' weather forecast...
...a heavy crop of berries is meant to be nature providing extra food to get things through a particularly hard winter...
...so lots of berries means harsh winter coming and fewer means a milder one.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8135035/Holly-berries-suggest-harsh-winter-on-the-way.html

 

[RoofTops]

I saw a bumblee bee working some Mahonia flowers this afternoon. Obviously no one told it they are all supposed to die out in the winter apart from the hibernating queens.

 

[margob99]

Me too - I was astonished to see a bumble bee out and about yesterday. This weather is crazy. I also worry that a hard spring freeze is going to catch us all out ...

 

[dpearce4]

Hopefully... I am going skiing in April - don't want it like last year!

Unless your skiing in the Ashdown Forest then you will be ok. The Snow in europe is normally good and deep with lots of spring powder. Even if its warm the sking will be good just be careful if you ski in shorts and tee, pisted snow can give you similar to road rash if you crash on it. even so I envy you.

 

[Headnavigator]

We have a rose, camillia, rhododendron, jasmine, mock orange and an unknown climber in flower - absolutely nuts

Similar here, but the really strange thing is that my saffron crocuses have failed to flower - they came up at the right time (Oct/Nov) but not a bloom on them. So no culinary gold this year, boo hoo. Perhaps it was too warm?

 

[Nose Ma]

Similar here, but the really strange thing is that my saffron crocuses have failed to flower - they came up at the right time (Oct/Nov) but not a bloom on them. So no culinary gold this year, boo hoo. Perhaps it was too warm?

And our passiflora decided to flower today. Something very wrong...

 

[Hombre]

I Think we are in for a bad spell, lots of berries about this year. Bad sign means cold winter on its way, watch january, february and march. we will have a long freeze.

Well It's an old-wives' weather forecast...
...a heavy crop of berries is meant to be nature providing extra food to get things through a particularly hard winter...
...so lots of berries means harsh winter coming and fewer means a milder one.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/8135035/Holly-berries-suggest-harsh-winter-on-the-way.html

Not sure if you are confused or me, as to what you actually mean. This seems to be a bit of a change of tune from post #8 Is this a case of a skating rink, LoL.

I'm glad that Erica at least has a good grasp of the facts.

Berries can't predict the future, despite what all the optimists believe.

Interesting times though. Rolling shook swarms with OA and then thymol for the brood repositories?

 

[drstitson]

"Berries can't predict the future, despite what all the optimists believe."

So fruit crops aren't effected by weather conditions that are in turn influenced by global meteorological phenomenon such as il Nino/La Nina and the NAO (rather than the OBR!!!!)??????? ie UK spring/summer conditions being a specific manifestation of the same influences as the following winter?

Old wive's tales might have some truth to them after all!