Maggie Lidz, Winterthur’s estate historian writes:
Given the current angst about global warming, it is interesting to read how troublesome warm weather was in the past. From the 1840s when Winterthur was created by Evelina du Pont Bidermann to the 1940s under the last private owner H. F. du Pont, unusual heat in November created comment and havoc with the flowers.
November 8, 1912 photo of a coral vine blooming at Winterthur. Winterthur Archives.
Nov. 6, 1846, Evelina du Pont Bidermann to her sister Victorine: We have it so warm here that everything is beginning to grow again with a second spring, the roses are blooming, last night the frogs were singing and I even heard the hooting of Sophie’s favorite owl.”
Nov. 22, 1938, H. F. du Pont to his sister Louise: We have had one or two beastly hot days and have a big vase of Prunus subhirtella in bloom in the house, also the early lilacs, and as every one of the buds is developed there is no chance of their booming again next year. I am so depressed about it.
Nov. 25, 1941, HF du Pont to his friend Bert Ives: We have had the latest autumn I have ever seen. Your mention of flowers makes me realize this. In fact, a good many leaves are still left on the trees.
Nov. 26, 1935, HF du Pont to his friend Baron Franz von Preuschen, box 427: We have had the most wonderful autumn you could imagine. On the 15th of November the roses were still perfectly beautiful in the garden, and the gardener picked a large bunch of blue irises.
Nov. 30, 1934, H. HF du Pont’s Garden Diary: Spring snowdrops Path to Bend.
Wow! That’s interesting! Thank you for sharing those!
I enjoyed reading them. 
That would definitely be strange indeed to see the roses and the lilacs blooming everywhere instead of seeing the leaves dropping!
Blessings!
~Miss Rachel~