I have been watching the changes here on the farm for about 15 years now. The first change, besides more snow or no snow, was the increase in the tick population. When we moved onto the farm in 1983, we very seldom saw any ticks. Then we started seeing more of them, and then we started seeing lots of deer ticks. (Mind you, the deer have always been here...)
Then in 2008 I was reinfected with Lyme and it was very likely I was also in 1999.
Over the last 7 years we've gone from nearly constant rain in summer, to droughts lasting months. Summer temps have risen and remain high for longer periods.
Winters have moved to ending much warmer earlier. I was in the gardens on March 16th this year. This was March 2009:
This year, for the first time ever, I had daffodils and other bulbs up in November. Many plants are confused and are either flowering out of season or off and on all season, like the magnolia.
This year lots of juncos have arrived, far earlier than I remember. I wonder if they had a premonition of a bad winter like I did?
Two years ago I had a kale plant live all winter. Winters here get down to -25F for periods of 7 - 10 days in the depth of winter, every year. But we've not gone much below 0F for 2 years now and apparently that's enough for this kale.
Yes, I'd say climate change has us firmly in its grip...
That's crazy. You keep such good records that you can accurately say 'hey, this is DIFFERENT'. To not dip below 0 is just wild. I worry about the plants - hence why we need genetic diversity and plants that can cope wth this change.
When I listen to people from such a place where it usually gets -F and now everything is different, I understand better how the climate is changing rapidly.
Here we are seeing less rain every year and it's hampering the crop production vastly.
Daffodils in November? Wow! I had some annuals last year that managed to overwinter as there was no winter. My magnolia also flowers twice a year. All plants are rather confused indeed 😳
@antnn saw apple blossoms in November in France... it's like the end times!
Blimey! It has all gone bananas 😂😳😂