Have our seasons gone blooming mad?

1:00pm Sunday 25th November 2007

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FIRST it was the daffodils. The bright yellow flowers which usually signify that spring is on its way made the headlines after making a four-month-early appearance in the garden of a Hampshire pensioner.

Flower experts were baffled, calling the strange appearance "very, very unusual".

But in the latest sign that the world has gone blooming mad, confused flowers have been popping up out of season across Hampshire.

Despite the freezing temperatures, strong winds and lashing rain, three more unseasonal blooms have sprung up in gardens in Southampton.

City school escort Christine Rowe was shocked to see that the lupin flower she planted in the spring of this year was in bloom in November, more than eight months early.

The 59-year-old, of Teme Crescent, Millbrook, said: "It's very strange.

"I couldn't believe my eyes when I went out into the garden and saw that the lupin was in bloom.

"They usually don't flower in their first year, and even in their second year they are supposed to flower in June or July.

"I can't explain why my lupin is in bloom now - I haven't given it any extra feed or done anything differently.

"I'm certainly no expert, but the only reasonable explanation I can think of is global warming."

Sandra Howell got a similar shock when she returned from a week's holiday in October to find the primroses in her garden at Monarch Way, West End, in bloom.

"I was sitting in my garden in September and I couldn't believe it - the primrose buds were out," the 61-year-old said.

"Then I went away for a week's cruise and when I came back they were in flower.

"It's extremely strange, because they usually come into bloom in the spring, around the same time as daffodils.

"This is the first time I have ever had flowers bloom so early, and I haven't a clue what's causing them to do so.

"I don't have a green house or anything special, they have just been growing out in my garden, and they aren't showing any signs of slowing down."

At the start of November, Alison Parsons, of The Parkway, Bassett, Southampton, discovered her narcissi had also decided to blossom months in advance.

The flower, miniature relative of the daffodil, is usually expected to come into bloom at the start of the spring.

"It seems to be a trend at the moment," she said. "There have been some very mild autumns in the last few years."

And it is not just flowers that are acting strangely.

Sales manager Derek Channell noticed catkins - which usually herald the start of spring - on his hazel tree earlier this month.

The 59-year-old, of Nelson Close, Holbury, said: "I have lived here 20 years and it's the first time I have ever seen the catkins come out early."

And there were more early-flowering daffodils in Eastleigh this week.

Green-fingered grandmother Rachel Short was baffled when two of her daffodils started sprouting flowers.

Mrs Short, who grows the daffodils in her back garden, said: "They flowered about three weeks ago and are quite impressive.

"I've got two stems that have flowered with about five or six flowers on each. I've been gardening for years but never seen anything like this before at this time of year. It's quite a surprise.

"Maybe it is something to do with the weather as it has been quite mild recently."

"There are all sorts of weird and wonderful things going on right now," said Linda Runnacles, senior gardener at Exbury Gardens near Fawley.

"I think the strange blooming has something to do with the fact that it has been a warm autumn.

"The weather is so crazy at the moment - it stayed warm much later this autumn, so perhaps the flowers thought it was spring again.

"Now the cold weather has come in I'm guessing everything will start to slow down again."