Weather

[tonyg]

Sorry Mark ... I did know what you meant!  Just so dry here.  And now I read Maggis' post too (sigh)

Not only is it bone dry here but we are visited with an increasing plague of bugs!  I have sounded off already about the hardy outdoor aphids.  Now I notice massive cutworm damage on dwarf bearded iris (leaves and flowers full of holes - like swiss cheese) and on Gladiolus tristis!  Despite it being a wand-like 60cm tall all evidence of flowers has been removed from several stems.  .... Oh and I picked three lily beetles off my 3 remaining fritillary flowers today too

BRING BACK WINTER!!!  thats how I feel right now!

[Anthony Darby]

Chucking it down here now. Planted the last of 19 drills of potatoes in one of my shared allotments this afternoon, so the rain is welcome.

[tonyg]

Are you trying to upset me    

[Maggi Young]

Nah, he does it naturally!
He's upsetting me, too. After our light rain, it is now dry again and a fine, mild night. TSK!

[mark smyth]

the rain last night was no use at all. I was planting snowdrops today in gaps where there have been deaths. The soil kept falling in because it's so dry. One bed is so dry I had to use a daisy grubber to break through the hard surface.

[David Nicholson]

Typical Devon day today. A mist rolling down from Dartmoor, at times it's difficult to see across the road, and a thin but persistent drizzle, but the plants look better for it. The snails are happy about it as well!

According to our local television news South West Water have announced that there will be no need for water restrictions this Summer as all reservoirs are over 90% full. If Tony, Brian and Andrew in the dry Eastern part of England would like me to bring a few buckets full with me when I visit Norwich at the end of next month let me know

[Hans J]

We had never before in April so dry wether -in whole Germany is be warning before fires in the woods - special in the east .

[TC]

If you want rain, come to the west of Scotland.  Our sunshine left about 10 days ago.  Driving up to Kilmarnock today, I was going through flooded sections of road and occasionally aquaplaning.  However the plus side is the greenery.  The grass is growing beautifully and the cows in the fields look happy.
I have seen lots of bluebells by the roadside so I will have to go to a few spots I know where they still grow in profusion.  At least it is not too cold with a temperature of 14c.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Tom,
Please send us a cloud or two full of that soft Scottish rain - they will be more than welcome ! Please pm me for road directions...

[Paddy Tobin]

Anthony Darby,

You have rocketed in my estimation. Any man who sows spuds has to be a sound fellow. Of course, I have to wonder what variety. There is a great difference in national tastes for spuds between Ireland and England (south of, anyway) regarding spuds. While they like the waxy(we would say 'soapy' potato, we like those that are floury.

So, what variety?


Allotments, or 'plots' as they were called in my childhood, are a rare thing here in Ireland unfortunately. I fondly recall many evenings with my father attending his plot when I was a child, great friends, great fun with the other children, great company and always plenty of currants and strawberries for us kids.

Two days of light rain here and very welcome as the ground was becoming quite dry even at this early stage of the year. The disadvantage, of course, is that it has brought on a rash of weed seedlings.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

light rain? The heavens opened up here many times yesterday and very welcome. The plants this morning look very refreshed. It may be a coincidence but over night all the dwarf bearded Iris seem to have put on huge growth. All now have flowering stems

[Anthony Darby]

Paddy. 50% Arran Pilot and the rest: Wilja; Pentland Javelin; Edzell Blue and Pink Fir Apple.

[Paddy Tobin]

Anthony,

Over here it would be Golden Wonder and Kerr's Pinks as first choices and then something for variety.

Sounds appetising.

Paddy

[Anthony Darby]

'Main crop' potatoes don't do as well as the 'earlies' up here Paddy. Pink Fir Apple are quite small, so may be OK?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

27th day without rain,  30 °C forecasted for later today