Blooming late

Late flowering in the UK isn’t unheard of, especially in recent years, and as we head south many gardens are starting to experience twelve months of frost free gardening. 

Head about as far south as you can go and The Isles of Scilly, a small archipelago of around 140 Islands off the Cornish coast, have historically benefited from mild winters.  With a mild oceanic climate it’s no wonder that the island of Tresco has plenty of flowers throughout the year in its well protected sub-tropical gardens.

Established in the 19th century around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey they have famously been carrying out a new year flower count for several years.  2024 saw 287 species of flower in bloom, nine more than the previous year.  Of course, not many of us can boast Aloe or Protea in our gardens let alone Mexican Telanthophora or Chilean Jovellana.  Even the ‘common or garden’ Echeveria and Aeoniums that dot the boulder walls of the local gardens are spared the annual trip to a heated greenhouse or porch, an operation commonly carried out on the mainland.

We’ll have to take what we’re given in The Cotswolds.  Narcissi are already showing their noses in some gardens and the early snowdrops - the reginae-olgae type -  are already in bloom for our gardening friends.  In the meantime we’ll enjoy the acid-orange of our beautiful self sown Nasturtiums though, as we write, it seems we won't be enjoying the colour for much longer.  Already the mornings are turning much colder and snow has even been mentioned in some weather esports for parts of the UK.