It's still winter but temperatures in many regions tell a different story. Even in Canberra, well known for its chilly winters, spring is in the air. The annual Floriade flower festival is in full bloom, but the event isn't due to start for another 3 weeks. Unusually high temperatures mean the flowers are peaking too soon.
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00:00If you feel like spring's come early, it's not your imagination.
00:06Everything's out.
00:07Blossoms, bees and blooms have come out with the warmer weather.
00:10The trouble is, it's a month ahead of schedule.
00:13Here at Floriade, Canberra's annual celebration of spring, the beds and garden displays are
00:17looking absolutely spectacular.
00:19But apart from the dedicated gardeners and the very optimistic bunnies, it's completely
00:25empty because it doesn't officially open for another three weeks.
00:29The head gardener of Floriade says that the annuals this year have really enjoyed the
00:32warmer weather and are out almost four weeks earlier than last year, which he says is a
00:37bit early, but they're cooling things down with water spray and have planned the plantings
00:41to keep looking fresh and full of colour no matter when you visit the gardens.
00:46Now, this warm weather has also triggered gardeners to get out and about.
00:50And for commercial horticulturalists, it's a case of bloom or bust.
00:54Hundreds of seedlings and pots of colour have to be ready when the gardeners are.
00:59And if you're not, you miss out on the business.
01:01And over the last 30 years, Paul de Jong has been growing seedlings and potted flowers
01:06for the Canberra market.
01:08And due to the change in temperatures over those years, he's had to shift production.
01:13My spring season is starting earlier.
01:16I'm getting a lot more plants coming on much faster.
01:21And that's a really big shift.
01:23So for me, spring almost starts a month early now compared to when I started 30 years ago.
01:29Winter's getting shorter and spring is starting earlier.
01:32And that's something that's been happening now for a number of years.
01:36It's been progressively occurring over several decades.
01:39And we now have temperatures that are the sort of temperatures we would have experienced
01:44in the peak of spring 30 years ago.
01:47As Jeanette Lindsay says, this warming trend is going to continue.
01:51When Floriade opens on the 14th of September, it's going to be blooming marvellous.