Wednesday 25 January 2012

Buds Fit To Burst

Everywhere I look, I'm noticing buds waiting to burst open. It's just a matter of time before the trees will be fully clothed in their leaves again. I'm beginning to wonder though if the mild winter we've had so far will have any affect on the garden when spring arrives, especially if we get some hard frosts before then. It seems that plants have been tricked in to thinking that spring is here already, and they're getting ready for the season ahead, but some hard frosts could then put paid to their spring season altogether. The photo is of buds on my cherry tree, but my blueberries have buds on too, and it's only a couple of years ago that a frost wiped out that year's crop. I'm hoping that the same thing doesn't happen again.

I finally got round to sowing my onion seed - Bedfordshire Champion on Sunday. My windowsills are now in use and won't be cleared of seed trays until the sowing frenzy has subsided at the end of spring. I've sown the seed in trays with a propagator lid, but no heat. I've also sown some broad beans - Bunyards Exhibition. This is the first year that I've grown broad beans. I remember hating them when I was a child but I thought it was time that they were given a second chance, afterall, I hated runner beans and French beans too, yet they're one of my favourite vegetables now.

I'm not only noticing buds waiting to burst open at the moment. This morning was glorious, sunny, still and quite warm, so I took Archie on a long dog walk and was amazed at the number of bulbs which are pushing their way through the soil, everything from snowdrops to daffodils. I think there's going to be a riot of colour soon.

19 comments:

  1. I noticed some buds at the weekend on my fruit trees to Jo and had the same worries as you about a frst damaging my crops...I'm just hoping that either the weather is kind or my buds are hardy enough to handle it.

    It's lovely to see the flowers coming through but I wonder whether they will all make it before a nasty frost or snowfall comes and gives us all a shock!!

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  2. I've been thinking the same. Fingers crossed we won't get anything too cold now.

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  3. Hi Jo, I have just sent you an anonymous comment in the hope it would let me post a comment this way and it worked. Maybe I will do this for the time being until things get sorted. Wellywoman

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  4. Snap with the Beds Champ onions, and also Santero, sown in unheated propagators with lids in the conservatory, a week ago on Monday. they just started coming up yesterday :) Also got celery and celeriac just coming up

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  5. Dear Jo, We are experiencing a weird, mild winter here, too. Gardeners all over the world are holding their breath that a freeze wont cause damage to the spring show. It's too early to start seeds here, but your posting makes me anxious. P. x

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  6. this post echos my thoughts too, i was sorting out my shed this afternoon in preperation for "the big sow" as I call it, i am a week ahead of you with onions and I use to HATE broad beans but i have sown them too for the first time only 3 days ago, my cherry tree is bursting too i hope it doesnt flower too early then we get a frost as i will lose most of the fruit as i did 3 years ago. good luck with the onions and the broad beans i will let you know in a few months weather i still dislike them!

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  7. Seems that we are all holding our breaths. I would love a repeat of fresh peaches from our tree again this year - and am praying that a frost doesn't zap the fruit blossom when it arrives

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  8. Jo, we need to get you into broad bean risotto - yum! A taste of spring if ever there was one. Mind you I'm still using ones from the freezer from last year's harvest and I think they taste just as good!

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  9. I noticed the same when I was on the plot on Monday morning. Fingers crossed that the rest of the winter remains mild and it's a good spring! Flighty xx

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  10. I sowed my onions and leeks a couple of weeks ago and they're just now starting to uncurl out of the compost. So exciting!

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  11. It's wonderful reading these comments to see how excited everyone is at the first signs of spring - we're all raring to go! Personally, I don't think it will matter what the weather does - nature is very good at looking after herself so trees will survive but we humans might not be able to impose ourselves so easily!

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  12. Here in Nova Scotia Canada, the weather has been so unseasonal. Brought forsythia branches in a week or so ago and they are now blooming inside. Is spring yellow?...yes, and purple and white and blue... Sure hope to see all those colors soon, and hope more than that, no frost to ruin the fruiting blossom on England's Green and Pleasant land.

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  13. We're forecast cold weather at the weekend, Tanya. I might move my blueberry bushes in to the greenhouse to give them a bit of protection, but there's not a lot I can do about the cherry tree.

    Glad you've managed to comment, Wellywoman. I think we're all keeping our fingers crossed at the moment.

    It's so exciting when the first seedlings of the year start to appear, Rachael. I think it'll be a little while longer until mine start to show.

    I think the world over is starting to notice changes in their weather, Pam. We gardeners do have to have the patience of a saint, though I had to get something started off, I'm not too good at the waiting game.

    It'll be interesting to see if either of us like broad beans now, Stacy. I had a great cherry harvest last year, especially as my tree is only little. I'm hoping for the same again this year.

    It would be lovely to have peaches again, Sue. So special when you've grown them yourself. Fingers crossed that it's another good year.

    I'll be after the recipe if I find I like broad beans, Suburban veg gardener. I've still got loads of runner beans and French beans in the freezer, it's great to be still eating last year's harvest.

    I hope so Flighty, but I have a sneaky feeling that we've got some bad weather to come, we can't get off that lightly.

    I think I may sow my leeks soon, Tanya. My leeks this year are very small so I want to get some in the ground a bit earlier this time.

    I'm just hoping that frosts don't come when the blossom's out otherwise there'll be no fruit this year, Caro. It's such a disappointment when you know you've got to wait another year.

    Hope is all we can do, Gardeningbren. It seems that there's unseasonal weather the world over this year. I'm hoping it gets back to normal next year.

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  14. It seems like every year I see things and think "oh, that's way too early, it'll suffer if there's a frost" :)
    We've noticed the buds too, hopefully we shall get a mild Spring.

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  15. Ditto all of the above :}

    Last night the wind was so strong, the rain turned into sleet and hail and was coming down almost horizontally. None settled here but the tops of the fells in the distance look pretty white (not that I can see much of them for the low cloud).

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  16. In some ways I can't wait for spring to arrive but in others I would like to see a decent spell of wintry weather first. Whatever happens I will be keeping my fingers crossed for all those tender buds Jo. Broad beans can be quite yummy, especially if you are prepared to faff about peeling off the outer skins. Perfect with bacon and new potatoes :)

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  17. Regardless of the bulbs coming through and fooling us in to thinking that spring is on its way I still haven't sown anything.There are still so many jobs on my 'to do' list that seed sowing seems to have taken a back seat.

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  18. Daffodil bulbs are coming up and blooming, but that is normal for the end of January, here.
    The thing that concerns me is that one of my pear trees has a bloom! The other buds on that tree are sure to follow. Too early, too early! February can be very cold. We had an abundant crop of pears last year, but..... this year?
    Maybe my other 5 pears trees will wait a bit about those buds. Below freezing temperatures forecast for tonight.
    Growing stuff sure makes a person pray a lot!
    Lea
    Lea's Menagerie
    Mississippi, USA

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  19. I'm just hoping that anything early doesn't get caught out by a frost, Mo. I don't think we've had the worst of winter yet.

    Hubby works in Bradford and it was snowing there when he left work on Friday, Bilbo. We haven't had any snow here yet though.

    I know what you mean, Anna. I don't feel as though winter has arrived yet. I'm sure there's lots of yummy broad bean recipes, I just hope I like them.

    I've still got so much to do yet too, Elaine. The allotment didn't get a dig in autumn, so there's all that to do yet, among other things.

    The temperature has dropped here today, Lea. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your pears, a frost would be no good for the blooms.

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