Our vacation in warm..is over.

I'm sorry your warm weather has ended. Maybe it will return later on.
I must say 17C suits me fine.

The big worry-once again- Hywel, is the no rains. February is a big rain and snow in the mountains month. So far,some snow,no rains.
I just have to keep replacing water needy plants that die with more frugal plants.
We still will have a mild Feb,as they say later in the week a minor warming trend. 20C.

btw- Im from the day when water was plentiful and if you wanted a lush green yard..water was also cheap. What a difference 60 years has seen.

I do enjoy a nice sunny day as long as I am in the shade! (Contradiction of terms!)

Weather very chilly here at the moment and our magnolia is going to be clobbered, I fear. Some
snow fell for all of two minutes yesterday and then the sun came out. Very changeable !

Your temperature sounds just about right!

Its a different cold from December cold. Longer days help to warm the toes!
But,I had to turn on the home heat again after 3 nice weeks off. Saved money.

Its changeable everywhere Stan isn't it, I'm on the east coast 63miles from The Wash, here we were having another wet, mlld winter, however February came in with vengeance and a complete drop in temp, we haven't had much snow but getting up most mornings to white over frost, looks attractive but my fingers and toes do not like it, however the days are getting longer and the spring flowers are popping up...

Lin,When I started years ago I thought plants waited "until it got warm to grow" Thank god they don't go by my ignorance!..its great they go by the longer days. I think even the tropical plants do that in our non tropical climate...just not as robustly as the real temperate's.
Did you see my photo of that big saucer Magnolia?