10:00am Monday 15th March 2010
By Reader's letter
The daffodil growers of Spalding, Lincolnshire, were bemoaning their lot because the daffs were nowhere near ready for Mothering Sunday.
It might have escaped them that for the last 20 years or more the spring flowers that we all know and love have been coming into flower far to soon due to the mild winters, then come Easter they have all but withered due to frosts.
I have several camellia shrubs which I planted some 15 years ago. They originate from China and Japan, and have gorgeous, shiny evergreen leaves and huge pink, red or white flowers the size of one’s hand.
Due to the mild winters of late they have been flowering at the beginning of February and keep flowering until the end of April, but the odd frosty night turns the flowers brown, thus killing the blooms off.
As it is now March and the buds are way off flowering due to a reasonably proper winter, the shrub should give a beautiful display well into the summer.
Bob Waite, Holgate, York.
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