New year, new shoots!

This year’s bulbs are taking advantage of the mild weather. I can't remember such a warm Christmas holiday, almost every day the temperature was 10 degrees!

Fulwood and Cadley Primary School have sent in some pictures and reported: "We were very excited when we visited our bulbs after the Christmas break. Some of them had grown and we could see small green shoots peeping through the soil."

My plants in Cardiff have begun to grow too, the daffodils are about 3cms tall and the crocus is just shooting through. If you’re not sure which is which please take a look at my pictures. This time last year there was very little sign of growth. 

The bulbs that I planted in autumn 2010 are really coming along now. The daffodils are about 20cms tall. I wonder how early they will flower.

What should schools be doing now? As usual you will need to keep your weather records but now the plants are starting to grow you need to watch them - to see when they flower. Please see Keeping flower records to know what to do. Teachers may find it useful to refer to the Teachers Notes 2011-12 which will point you in the direction of all the useful resources.

Big School's Bird Watch. Don't forget you can help the RSPB to count birds on in your own school grounds between the 16th and 30th of January 2012 http://www.rspb.org.uk/schoolswatch/

Brush-up on your birds by watching our woodland wildcams - which view the woodland birds living at St Fagans: National History Museum.  

www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/woodlands/wildcams/

Many Thanks, Professor Plant.

www.museumwales.ac.uk/scan/bulbs

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