Saturday marked the shortest day as the winter solstice occurred at 17:11. In Leeds it meant just 7hr 24m 39s of daylight but it will now gradually increase each day until 21 June 2014 when we’ll have 17hr 06m 06s of daylight. Officially, on day one, for 22 December 2013 it means an increase in daylight of only 3 seconds so I’m not expecting to notice the difference. By the end of the month it will be up to 1m 07s longer.
In the garden the last of the roses is still attempting to flower.
I don’t suppose the lengthening daylight is going to do much for this particular specimen that hasn't received its winter prune just yet. On the other hand…
In our spring garden the bulbs are heading up looking for the light. It will be a while before they are flowering and I suspect there’s every chance of them finishing up under a covering of snow or ice before then. It’s good to know that they are on their way and daylight hours are increasing. It’s a pity that the worst of the winter weather hasn't arrived just yet.
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I'm always glad to get past that shortest day and know that spring is on its way. My rose is also trying to flower and all the bulbs except for the daffodils which I planted in containers are now poking through the soil.
ReplyDeleteI know the shortest day is supposed to be the start of winter but somehow for me it's the first sign of the end of winter.
DeleteHow wonderful to see that rose blooming at Christmas. Hope you and Sue have a lovely time and a very Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteThe rose is lucky not to have got the chop. As it isn't near to a path it gets left as pruning it involves treading on wet soil - otherwise it would have been compost.
DeleteHope you all have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.