And are we coming up
roses despite a succession of some of the worst
Atlantic storms to hit our coastline in recent
memory?
Rose breeder and hybridist, Colin Dickson, said
people needn't worry about climate change in
relation to roses blooming this time of year.
"Typically roses bloom in Ireland from mid-June
right through the summer and into the autumn," said
Mr Dickson.
"But it's not as rare an occurrence as you might
think for roses to bloom in January if we’ve had a
relatively mild autumn and winter. Roses will keep
on blooming until the frost hits them and we've had
very little frost until recently.
"That rose is the remnants of last season. It was a
small bud on new stem that has been wanting to burst
through. But the rose bush needs to be well cut back
in early March to allow good growth this summer,"
added Mr Dickson of Dickson Roses in Co Down.
Pensioner Ethna said she was astonished to see the
rose bush - planted by her late husband James more
than 20 years ago - flower so soon after Christmas.
"The flower is very noticeable because it is the
only bit of colour in the garden," she said.
Meanwhile, the earliest snowdrops for 40 years have
bloomed in the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin
and curators there say the first signs of Spring are
already showing.
And, as new year gardeners begin to venture out
post-storms, the weather forecast is mixed for the
days ahead. The weekend will see some early-morning
frosts and icy patches, clearing to cool, showery
conditions.
The early part of next week will see cool, wet and
breezy conditions by day with some frost and icy
patches possible at night, according to Met Eireann. |
