The weather will always have an effect on the plants we grow. The spring was wet and cold which delayed a lot of plants then baking hot days meant growth was not as it might be. When it got a bit cooler the gardens recognised a British summer and began to do what they should have been doing earlier. Growth is definitely lingering on longer than usual. Is it because of global warming or is it just a weather pattern repeated over many years. I think it probably is. We get instant news about what is happening at the other end of the country as well as what is happening on the other side of the world so we are more in tune with what is happening elsewhere. Edinburgh had an active volcano and dinosaur skeletons have been found here so the world was not always as it is now. Strangely enough the plants seem to thrive in spite of the weather especially if they have been in a garden and are established with a good root system to sustain them. I do not think there is any need to worry. As gardeners we are doing our bit to keep the planet healthy.

It depends who you listen to before deciding if you should be worried about about climate changes. Do you listen to our government and Eurocrats who pay scientist and so called experts millions of pounds a year to research global warming and they invariably come up with results that confirm this to keep the gravy train flowing, or do you listen to independent, non funded experts who will tell you that the weather changes over the years because that's how nature works? Remember, there was what was was known as a mini ice age in the early 1800's, I doubt that was caused by mankind... I know which one I would go for.

No you should not be worried. Worry wastes energy and achieves nothing!

Hi, I agree with Myron, both this and previous governments, have taken the opportunity to take more money off us in tax, all in the name of global warming, yet the fact remains that, yes the world is warming, but apparently, for the seventh time, and I don't think the last six times were caused by aerosols, d f c's etc, and also if we are getting global warming, it is certainly impossible for us to stop it, and taxing us will do nothing either, rant over, sorry, Derek.

Latest worldwide scientific evidence is that the planet is definitely warming, and the climate is changing. That, though, is not a reason to worry - there's nowt we can do about it, it happens all on its own anyway (10,000 years ago was the last ice age here, and that length of time has been the longest settled, habitable climate ever) and the fact we're helping it along is neither here nor there - it's too late to stop it, and worrying about it seems a pointless exercise. Most of us'll be dead and gone long before the really bad life threatening changes occur, so you might worry about your kids or grandkids, but again, because we can't change it now, no need to worry. The point of worry is to make us change what we're doing, and since we're doing our best already (recycling, low energy lightbulbs, etc), just enjoy the flowers whenever they're there is my advice. The thing that would make a massive difference is stopping flying altogether, and removing the combustion engine altogether, but it ain't gonna happen, is it. So, don't worry, be happy...

I have been interested in global warming and try to follow the research that's going on and make sense of it. For example, some research suggests that agriculture is thought to contribute about eight per cent of all British greenhouse gas emissions, largely thanks to the prolific releases of methane gas by cattle and other farm animals. In the USA this is 20%. I also read a report by some scientists that this could be reduced if we bred Kangaroos for meat instead of cattle as Kangaroos don't fart methane. The choice would be Daisy or Skippy :o)

cows dont either most of their emissions are from the gut via the mouth!

The planet regularly goes through warmer and colder cycles over thousands of years so nothing we can do about that. but there is good strong independent science evidence that there has been a slight acceleration in global temperature over the last 50 years. The data since the middle of the 19th century collected by many 'gentlemen' scientists also supports this with out any government intervention.
we can all do our bit as bamboo said but effects directly on us is unlikely and as others have said no point losing sleep over it. we just have to be sensible and do our bit.

I've known various sayings since I was small, about the weather, and they're all still relevant and accurate. We're yet too tiny an event in this earth's history to worry it or affect it's course unduly. I say we get on with what we can achieve and leave weightier decisions to the planets.

The next relevant saying is 'As the days grow longer, so the cold gets stronger'.

It is entirely possible that having permanent ice on both caps is a recent (in Earth times) phenomena. We know Antarctica was roughly where it was 50 million years ago and yet it was covered in temperate and tropical plants with dinosaurs.

Regardless of how we feel about it I do hope that members with connections to the Philipines are getting good news about how their friends are coping.

Plants, especially natives like Sambucus, have evolved to cope with erratic weather - when the frost comes they will realise their mistake and go dormant again. And wake up at the appropriate time in the spring. If they hadn't evolved this ability they would have died out millennia ago.

Climate change is a fact but erratic weather patterns in the UK are also pretty certain, climate change or not!