Well, you are partially correct. The climatologists are predicting generally warmer and wetter weather. They are also predicting more extreme events. So more droughts like this one, more floods like the midwest has, more blizzards like this last winter, etc. From what I can tell, we are only about 1 degree warmer here, the problem is the extra icemelt in the arctic that will add to the atmospheric moisture and cause more precipitation overall and generally crazy extreme weather. I'm not really looking forward to the warmer summers but the added precip will be nice. The lady I heard on the radio was saying that tornadoes are the one weather event they aren't sure on. They have no idea how the climate will affect our tornadoes. I'm going to bet on larger ones since we seem to have had more of those in the last decade or so. If things keep going like they have been, we may have to have two distinct gardening seasons, with a break in July and August.

I really dont like it when someone uses a gardening forum to bash people they disagree with politically. I also tire of trying to inform people about the farce global warming but I will never give up (LOL). I put this together for another gardenweb thread when someone crying about how global warming was going to doom our children and how we need to follow the advise of the experts at the UN. Here goes... In order to put public policy actions in place to combat global warming which could have negative effects on economic progress, the following should be true. 1. global warming is occurring (probably true). This is not all that unexpected since we may still be coming out of the little ice age which we know occurred at least from 1600-1850. Also warming is much smaller when measuring from satellite rather than from ground based measuring devices that are affected by urban heat islands. 2. the majority of the warming is due to man-made greenhouse gas emissions and not natural (questionable). Correlation between rising temperatures and CO2 is problematic. Ice core data appears to show that CO2 increases follow or lag higher temperatures and is therefore an effect and not a cause. Additional, the percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere is small (0.03 percent). Mans contribution to CO2 is a small percentage of CO2 (5%). CO2 contribution to global warming is small (4%). Much of the increase in CO2 due to man entered carbon sinks and is not still in the atmosphere (50%). 3. unnatural levels of global warming will occur during the next century (questionable) IPCC predictions have ranged from a 1.5C to 5.8C increase by year 2100 over the last ten years (needless to say the best answer may be they dont know) Computer models so far have done a poor job at predicting recent and past results. There is still a poor understanding of the global carbon cycle which makes any climate change due to CO2 unpredictable 4. The consequences of this warming will be disastrous (unlikely) Typically only negative aspects of warming is noted, positive consequences should be noted as well *Nighttime lows may be higher in temperate regions extending farming regions north *Increased CO2 encourages plant growth *Some desert regions (the Sahara in particular) may see increased rainfall based on historical data In addition, if changes to the climate take place it will be over long periods of time allowing for the adaptation and migration 5. we have enough knowledge to put in place world-wide policy action that can reverse the warming (unlikely) Also, any solution must be effective and be better than alternative actions (or inaction) and not produce unacceptable new problems. The thought of political leaders from around the world sitting around a conference table debating the best policy to put in place (and enforce) in order to keep 2100 global temperatures at a +0C increase instead of +2.5C is laughable. Fossil fuels are the life blood of the human economic engine that has improved the life of nearly every person on the planet. The level of proof for those wishing to change or effect the way we live is very high. The proof so far is quite lacking in my opinion. In addition, the proposed methods to combat this theoretical problem have been either impossible to implement or likely ineffective. Let the flame throwing begin. :) BTW. The 2003 map was very similiar to maps from the 1960's. Zones were lowered during the 70s and 80s when the earth went through 'global cooling'. Kind of blows that GW theory a little...

eckles - most of the posters here are based in the US and their conditions are often very different from the ones you'll have in the UK. It is not just a case of choosing plants but understanding how to garden in our climate. For example, irrigation figures high in the US. Here we hardly mention it. Mulch is less of a fetish and grass just grows! On the other hand plants which need hot summers will not do well here, even though our winters are not very cold. Crape myrtle, for example, will not survive. I frequent these forums because they are different. My first suggestion is that you should watch your garden carefully for a year to see what you already have there. At this time of year you should be beginning to see the spring bulbs - daffodils, crocus, etc. Most garden plants here are pretty forgiving and they will not mind you leaving them in peace for a while as you learn about them. Try to identify what you have already. Feel free to post photos on the Name That Plant Forum here and I will do my best to id them for you. My second suggestion is to get a copy of the Royal Horticultural Society's Encyclopaedia of Garden Plants. It has a simple hardiness key. Also visit the RHS website. I won't go into all the detail but have a look and you'll find masses of gardening help there. Visit garden centres (some, like Hilliers, have garden clubs with activities and magazines) shows and gardens open to the public. If you see a plant you like idrentify it and then look it up to see what its requirements are. Most things you'll find at a garden centre will grow in your garden except possibly acid lovers. They're not in the business of selling stuff which will not survive the local climate. Talk to the neighbours and buy a gardening magazine every so often. They have 'what to do this month' columns. Sorry I can't answer your question directly - there are around 90,000 different plants grown in UK gardens. You have moved to one of the best places in the world to grow stuff. Have fun! Here is a link that might be useful: RHS

My wish list would be something everblooming, as close to year-round blooming as possible, as happy and disease resistant as Louis Phillipe, Mrs. B. R. Cant, or Madame Lombard, but with a very strong damask scent. I'd like shade tolerance, too, and lots of dark green foliage with a pretty bush. I'd like this in just about every color, including very dark red, like Pulich Children or The Prince, in a variety of bloom forms and growth habits. (If that existed, a lot of people would want to move to Florida!) I'm suprised that nobody has done this yet. I'd try it myself but I'm hopelessly inept and impatient. I've previously wondered why Louis Phillipe is not used much in breeding. Paul Barden says he may not be very fertile. But his cousin Cramosi Superieur is often used. I'd be happy with that! I've searched HMF for noisettes, teas, and hybrid musks that have the damask scent. There might be one or two Lenses available in Europe but alas, not here.