A False Autumn Then A Second Spring in 2022 – thewildpharma

Many plants on my land suffered in the excessive heat and dry conditions of the Summer of 2022.  Mints withered, my usual carpet of thick Ground Elder shrivelled and disappeared leaving gaps in all my borders, late summer flowers didnt quite make it to blossom, Hydrangeas wilted and dropped their leaves, Willow leaves browned and were shed, Courgettes and Meadowsweet were covered in powdery mildew, a mature Rhubard plant entirely vanished, the odd tiny malformed cob on each Sweetcorn plant – the list of casualties was quite extensive. There were some winners though, my Tomato crop has never been so good, the biggest acorns I have ever seen adorn the Oak trees and the Blackberry and Hawthorn berry harvest around me is beyond bountiful. The wild hedgerow Rosehips are pretty abundant too.
I have read conservationists talk of the potentially disastrous ‘false Autumn’ where leaves have withered and dropped early, fruits and nuts formed too early to be a reliable food source to sustain creatures into the Winter and other similar thoughts on the very hot and dry summer we have just experienced in parts of the Uk. This matches my experiences where I live in the South East corner of the UK but since the rains have returned and the temperatures have returned to normal, I have been noticing something quite fascinating and awe inspiring.
Magically, many of the plants affected have begun a growing resurgence and a kind of ‘Second Spring’ is now taking place. It began gradually with a slight greening of the lawn, then I noticed the mints were starting to sprout new growth in amongst the mildewed and withered leaves. I have been harvesting nettle seeds for a at least a month or so, nettle seeds forming as the final act of its growing season but recently I have been noticing new green growth at the base of very mature plants.
This is happening all around this region too. Many other plants that I didnt even notice were suffering too badly have been having green growth spurts too. Budhhlias, Viburnums, Brambles, some mature trees have a flush of Spring like leaves here and there. Even my Burnet Rose (Rosa Spinosissima) that flowered in early Summer and is now covered in hips is putting out new shoots! My courgette plants now have huge leaves and are pumping out beautiful courgettes. The Rhubard is back with large shiny leaves too but the Sweetcorn is most definitely over. Dandelion greens are bursting with green vibrancy, fields of harvested Wheat are regrowing from the roots, Thymes are growing fresh growth from their woody bases, Violets are putting out new leaves well after they have set seed, Aqualegias are regrowing from the ground up, Comfrey leaves are now thick, green and luscious and just coming into flower, again! St Johns wort and bush Hypericums are putting out new green shoots and the odd flower, my Strawberries are having a 3rd lot of flowers, Wood Sorrel is once again showing fresh green leaves ready to harvest, Herb Robert is sprouting up all around, Choysias are in flower again, native ferns are shooting out bright green new fronds from their heart. Most interestingly, a dried up biennial Hedge Garlic (Alliaria petilolata) that has gone to seed (so its life has techinally ended, seeds ready to start the 2 year growth process all over again) has sprouted a few new leaves and some tiny flowers from a ‘dead’ stem!
Fresh young Wood Sorrel leaves September 2022
Dandelion regrowth September 2022
St Johns wort flowerinf again September 2022
Verdant fresh Comfrey leaves September 2022
It isnt just the Spring and early Summer plants that are having a second go either. The late Summer plants like Japanese anenome are also sending out fresh new leaf shoots.
Basil Mint with new leaves even after flowering September 2022
Marie de Bois Strawberries having another flush of flowers September 2022
Thyme regrowth September 2022
Aqualegia having another growing season September 2022
Bush Hypericum starting agin September 2022
The list of growing anomalies is long and I make it just for future reference really. I don’t know if any of this new growth will have a chance to produce new flower or seed before the real Autumn and Winter catches up with them, but I have never seen this before and am very curious to see how this affects next years growing season for these plants, if indeed it does.  Has anyone else been observing this in their local area or gardens?
Violet leaf regrowth September 2022
Fresh green Ground Elder September 2022