Hot summer sun and little rain sees trees, shrubs and plants now bursting into flower
Blooms in the garden are usually one of the portents of spring. But this autumn, across a swathe of southern Britain, trees, shrubs and plants have burst into flower.
The Royal Horticultural Society is reporting a bumper year for unseasonal flowering due to a hot summer and prolonged period without rain.
At Wisley, the RHS flagship garden in Surrey, an apple tree variety – 'King of the Pippins' – is not just laden with luscious fruit but is also hanging with heavy boughs of blossom.
Guy Barter, chief horticulture adviser at the RHS, said: “It’s the first time in 22 years I have seen this tree with fruit and blossom at the same time. It is incredible to see and highly unusual.”
He said the variety (see picture below, taken last year) was popular with gardeners in Britain and suggested many others would also be showing off both fruit and flowers.
Other apple varieties in gardens and orchards are also likely to have bounteous displays of fruit and blossom.
He was particularly excited however by spotting a primula in full flower. The primula, whose name derives from the Latin for first, is usually one of the first flowers of spring usually opening in February, and yet now being seen towards the end of September.
“Every year we see something flowering out of season, but this year seems exceptional.
“We seem to have so many surplus buds that are coming into flower now. I’ve been looking around and even my neighbour’s lilac is in flower, I’ve never seen that in September before,” said Mr Barter.
The RHS advisory service usually receives one or two calls a week in September about unseasonal flowering, but in the past week there have been about 20 queries.
As few people bother to report sightings, the figure is seen as a tiny snapshot of what is happening in our gardens and the wider countryside.
Magnolia which usually flower for a limited period in April and May, and hellebore, which flower from January to mid- March, appear to be flourishing now.
So too is ceonothus, also known as Californian lilac, which blooms in April and May, and wisteria, a flower usually seen in May and June.
Pear trees, which flower in March, are also heaving with glorious blossom.
At the Royal Botanical Society gardens at Kew, cornus, known as dogwoods, which flower in May are in bloom now, while at the Wakehurst garden witchhazel is flowering when this usually occurs in January.
Mr Barter said: “Most of the sightings have been in the southern half of Britain which has enjoyed hot weather and drought. People in the north have been complaining about too much rain and the most northern unseasonal flowerings reported to us have been in Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire.”
He added: “Most people are bemused and confused by what they are seeing or they are concerned the blossom now means they won’t get any fruit from their trees next year. Others are worried they won’t get their lovely spring garden displays next year.
“But, in my experience they will get fruit and flowers next year. This unseasonal flowering should be seen as a bonus not a cause for concern. It is to do with the weather and climate change.”
Many rhododendrons have also had a second flowering this year and are in full flush.
The good news is that this unexpected flourish in gardens could last until the first frosts in mid October or into early November.
