Not a False Spring, Just Spring

Spring is Getting Earlier and Gardeners Need to be Ready

We have all seen it over the last few years. Spring bulbs that have flowered earlier than last year. The bees we have seen buzzing around in February. The frogspawn in our ponds arriving in March. There is no denying our climate is changing, and we as gardeners need to adapt to this change.

A recent BBC article discussed the findings of an independent study on the changing seasons of the UK. It found that all seasons are getting warmer, but spring is warming the fastest. Since 1970, the average spring temperature has risen by 1.8C, with the second fastest being autumn at 1.6C.

From BBC article

There are several ways to measure the start of a season. There are meteorological and astronomical methods, which are rigid and are known in advance. There is also the phenological method. This uses the timing of certain natural events, such the first frogspawn or first bluebell flowers, to indicate the start of spring.

Analysis from Joint Nature Conservation Committee (which advises the UK Government) has shown that spring in the UK is on average starting 9 days earlier than they did just 25 years ago. Meanwhile leaves are dropping on average 2-3 days later in autumn.

What Does This Mean for Gardeners

Firstly we need to try to accept these changes are a reality. Though incredibly dangerous to our native species, what is happening is unlikely reversible in our lifetimes and so we have to deal with the consequences.

That being said, there are some potential opportunities here. An earlier spring and longer autumn means an extended growing season. That translates to more time to grow your crops and increasing their yields. And for ornamental gardeners, that’s a garden filled with more flowers for longer. Then there is also an opportunity to grow a larger range of plants and crops, that need a warmer and longer season in the UK.

Plum blossom flowering in February

Yet these changes do add some real challenges for us. We have to become much more flexible in our planning. Any planting schedule that you have been using that is over 30 years old is now out of date. In fact, we need to stop working to a rigid horticultural calendar defined by the months of the year. Instead we need to start looking at what our garden and the wildlife inside it are doing. They are the best guide to what is going on, and by also keeping an eye on long-term weather forecasts, we can quickly react to any changes. This is very important when you consider the wide range of climate differences we have right here in the UK. You need to trust your own instincts and local knowledge rather than what you’ve read in a book… or even in a Substack article written by an old gardener like myself hehe.

We also have to look at each of those regular horticultural jobs that we do at certain times, and see whether they need to be moved or adapted.

For example, you may be tempted to start sowing your crops earlier to make use of the longer growing season. However, there is still a chance of a cold snap happening. So maybe we sow them initially under fleece to protect from any extreme temperatures, before removing it when the risk is gone.

Seedlings sown under fleece for protection

Another example would be reducing the number of times we prune roses. Traditionally, you prune roses lightly in late autumn to protect them from winter winds then a main prune in February. But with roses flowering still in November and starting to regrow in January, maybe it’s worth doing a single prune in December.

Roses starting to grow in January

With so many different jobs that might have moved around and adapted, gardeners are going to have to really learn the theory behind them. If the reason we divide herbaceous plants in the autumn is because we have wait for them to be dormant, then we have to appreciate that we might have to start doing this in December instead.

Whatever we chose to do, it’s clear that gardeners in the UK are going to become a lot busier than before. Shorter winters means that break we get to reassess, plan and repair our gardens is greatly reduced.

For those of you working on your own garden or allotment, this might seem fine. However, as a professional gardener, I see it’s going to be a long tough time over the next few years as my industry adapts to the changes. I’m already talking to colleagues who are now being forced to spend less time on beds as they now have to start cutting grass in February.

And yet, if we all become more flexible, listen to our gardens, and adapt to the changes, there’s an opportunity to make our gardens better than ever.