Further Signs of Spring

 The time of day when traffic is slowest is, for some reason, called rush hour?

Further signs that Spring has arrived; at least, in our back garden. The 2026 Spring (Vernal) Equinox arrived in Herefordshire (and the rest of the Northern Hemisphere!) on the 20th March at a quarter to three in the afternoon. The Common Chiff-Chaff is one of the first migrant birds to arrive in Britain and was first heard on the 17th of the month during our visit to Betty Dawes Wood. I also heard the chiff-chaff on the 20th while I was carrying out my citizen science duties on the Yazor Brook, about a mile from our garden (as the crow flies!). We have also seen our first butterflies of the year (Comma and Peacock) in the garden.

In the kitchen garden, the plum blossom has appeared; first noticed on the 23rd March ...

Photo 1: Plum Blossom in the Fruit Garden (23rd March 2026)

... and I noticed the first asparagus spear today (27th) as I was doing some garden tidying up in the kitchen garden ...

Photo 2: First Asparagus Spear Emerges (27th March 2026)

I have logged the first appearance of asparagus spears above soil level for the past seven growing seasons (see Table below). The spread of 'first appearance' dates covers a period of 18 days and is dependent upon the soil temperature (see, for example, here). Other important factors include solar radiation (to help warm the soil), precipitation (not too much and not too little) and a dormant (cold) period over the winter months.

Year	Date of First Spear (Day of the Year)
2020	2nd April (93)
2021	31st March (90)
2022	14th April (104)
2023	10th April (100)
2024	25th March (85)
2025	30th March (89)
2026	27th March (86)

It is suggested that asparagus emerges from its dormancy when the soil temperature (at a depth of 10 - 20 cm) reaches about 10 ℃. Regrettably, I don't measure soil temperatures, only air temperatures. As a very rough guide, I find when the air temperature achieves 18-20 ℃ daily maximum over a sustained period (about 10 days), the first spear of asparagus appears at the end of that 10-day period. I really should start measuring soil temperatures, though. Next year, maybe?