Our 
pring is a few weeks late, but it is here now and the bees are busy gathering 
ollen and nectar from willow (Salix), blackthorn (prunus), gorse (Ulex) and 
ust today I saw my first dandelions of the year, a real stimulus for the spring 
uild-up.

Here in the deep south (Dorset) willow and blackthorn are about 6 weeks late but the dandelions are just about on time. Is this because the leafless trees wait for temperatures (air or ground?) to rise before risking flowering, whereas things like dandelion with a permanent rosette of leaves will be stimulated by solar radiation rather then temperature?  A while ago, on the Irish list there was discussion about which comes into leaf first: oak or ash, which seems to be determined by rainfall the previous season.

Chris

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