The first pitchers of the season are beginning to sprout from the rhizomes, which is great - but it means the Sarras have broken dormancy a few weeks earlier than usual. Its been a warm winter on average here due to a string of high pressure systems over southern Australia, but that still meant some very cold nights with the clear skies. When I used greenhouses, I'd have the first pitchers appear in early September, but outside it would usually be sometime in October, so a September emergence is odd. Today is also very hot, with our garden thermometer recording 34 C as I blog this. I'm just hoping this does not mean I'll get lots of pitchers shoot up, only to have a late frost burn their tops off a few days before they open.
The warm and dry weather has also meant the honeybees have started raiding the Sphagnum and peat for water - again, a lot earlier than normal. Usually they start to become a bother in December.
Strange weather...
