Newspapers report that on average spring is now some 11 days earlier than it was in years gone by! To gardeners like you and me that would seem very far from our own experiences over the last two years. This year I can tell you that the snowdrops in my garden did not flower until at least 3 weeks later than 2009 and with the cold weather we are still having they are producing a fantastic show but crocus, dwarf iris and some of the early daffodils have yet to produce any flowers.
On talking to colleagues producing cut flower daffodils in Cornwall they note that the number of bunches that they have picked to date is the lowest in the last 20 years. To look at the positives the cold spells we have had over winter will kill of a lot of those pests and specifically diseases which in warmer temperatures, survive from year to year. I am like you desperate to get out into the garden to clean up a lot of the debris that has appeared over the winter and to check on those bulbs and plants that I probably should have dug up or protected but never got around to it and to see if they have survived the winter cold. I am sure that I would have lost a number of dahlias and begonias which again looking on the bright side will allow me to change certain borders and colour schemes and buy new replacements which are readily available at retailers at the moment.
One thing for sure is the warmer weather will appear at some time and then mother nature will unleash a season of colour and we will have plenty to do in the garden as always.
Direct Bulbs Gardening Blog 
