Doesn’t anyone else have a slight feeling of dread?

[DiddlyWiddly]

I’m in the south east, the weather recently has been odd, in my opinion anyway.

We had a few days of alternating snow and sunshine, literally sunshine pouring down followed by snow then back to sunshine.

Now we are nearing the end of April and maybe it’s just me, but it seems unusually hot and dry?
My garden was very thoroughly drenched with the hose just a few days ago and although the more shaded parts are absolutely fine, the soil in the more exposed, sunny portion is already baked dust dry.
Desert dry.
Some of the plants are wilting and in need of water again and we are only in April.
We haven’t even reached proper summer yet.

I’m feeling a little nervous for the future, if it’s like that here in April, what is it going to be like in the peak of summer?
What is it like in traditionally hotter countries?
How will the farmers cope?
How will we find sufficient water?
Ornamental flowers are one thing but fruit and vegetables need water to grow, quite a lot of water for certain edibles.

And another thing I noticed yesterday, admittedly a lot of my ‘fail safes’ like Buddleja and open roses and snapdragons are not flowering yet but I haven’t seen many bees around, even on sunny days and when I have, I have witnessed them landing then leaving plants I have bought that allegedly they like!
The bees I have seen have only really been on my dandelions, my bird cherry and I saw one bee on a hyacinth.
I have seen barely any butterflies, just one peacock butterfly.
Hardly any insects anywhere.

Not just in my garden but in the surrounding area.

Is anyone else feeling a bit antsy?

@DeepNorthFarmGardening

There is some rain coming next week. We have had dryish Aprils for a couple of years now.

The late frost is a killer though, I just want to get going putting some bedding plants out etc and I'm sick of having to bring seedlings in from my greenhouse at night this week.

Yes, absolutely. The caving forums every spring for the last few years have been full of posts “good time for a trip down X - the sump is now passable to non-divers”

@TigerTulip

I have 4000 litres of stored rainwater ready to help keep the clay sticky though. South east Water eventually caught up with me a year or so ago and in went the dreaded water meter so no more mains water on the garden.

It’d make more sense to ban non-meter people from using hosepipes. At least metered people have the cost as a deterrent.

I'm curious how you save bathwater? Ours goes down a pipe into the drain, there's no way of getting to it, do you put it in pans and carry it down? Use hose to set up siphon through bathroom window. Repurposed washing machine pump to speed process. Or use one of those kits to intercept drainpipe. Don’t store bath water for more than a few days, it goes slimy

What do people use bath or similar water for? I asked about using the water from my condensing tumble dryer, but my cousin said doing that had killed off her plants.

I posted this on the other rain thread:

Over the last years, total rainfall in mm in April has been (Jun figures in brackets for comparison):

2015: 45.5 (56.3)
2016: 77.3 (95.9)
2017: 33.4 (110.4)
2018: 83.9 (34.7)
2019: 48.5 (108.9)
2020: 29.1 (105.7)

2018 was an exception - the dry season was May and Jun that year - but the recent trend has been for dry Aprils

source: www.statista.com/statistics/584914/monthly-rainfall-in-uk/

No as I remember 1975 and 1976.

I saw a swallow today. Clearly summer

I just came on MM to ask the same thing I'm in the east Midlands and its so.dry. my lawn looks awful. Off to water now. How short is your grass?.

No grass here!
I am horrendously allergic.
I do have a huge variety of flowers (estimate at least 100 varieties) though, a pond and a stumpery.
Still not noticing many insects, though I have some bees; honeybees, bumbles and an odd shaped hairy little bee.
Rain is allegedly forecast this week 🙏

It’s quite often fdry and sunny in April.

This is usually proceeded by a wet pissing down summer.

My cherry tree hasn’t even bloomed yet.

I'm worried to death about climate change and have been for about 40 years. How everything and everyone is going to adapt is a massive concern and yes keeps me awake at night.

Apparently there is rain forcast on Wednesday - can't remember a time when I have been this excited for rain.

Also, longer dry spells and more extreme rainfall is associated with the loss of vegetation cover - the presence of trees does much to moderate the transport of water globally.

West Midlands here:

VERY DRY. Little in the way of insects, very happy Robin and babies next door. Have had to water plants - tonight whole garden will need watering.
Water butt is dry. Has been for weeks, so hose will have to come out.
Hanging baskets and window boxes suffering horrendously.

Grew up with bambis "drip drip drop, little April showers" absolutely none of that this year.

If I remember rjght, April last year was also very warm.

Some new lawn laid, which is now burning and dying off.

Yes, a sense of dread. Climate is changing IMO.

@SamusIsAGirl

Apparently there is rain forcast on Wednesday - can't remember a time when I have been this excited for rain.

Also, longer dry spells and more extreme rainfall is associated with the loss of vegetation cover - the presence of trees does much to moderate the transport of water globally.

I almost want to do some sort of rain dance to bring it. I can not wait for rain.

It's overcast here (West Midlands) and its spitting - who knows what happens next?

I've had lots of lovely rain today and also a heavy hail shower. The ground has soaked it all up gratefully.

I'm a little worried the forecast is showing lows of -2 over the next few days, slightly concerned the rain today will just turn to icicles on everything and kill anything less than hardy.

I'm expecting a weed explosion in the next week or so as all the things that have been waiting for some rain decide to show themselves at last.

Well, we’ve been forecast rain practically all day here but we’ve had only the barest, brief spit so far...

Better keep the tomatoes, peas and beans inside the mini greenhouse then...

Chucking it down here now - I was expecting to be able to spend an hour or so pottering in the garden, including watering everything, but no need.

Raining and freezing here. Ran back inside

I find it hard to know how often to water as we have a big garden with flowers and shrubs and I'm also growing vegetables, however it has been drummed into us to not waste water I feel frivolous watering flowers.

Rained until 7.00 this morning - main butt not quite full. Will need to mow lawn when dry enough. Hopefully the ferns will be happy.

I should have said, I was hoping someone would tell me.

Dh just text to say it was raining but it was six drops.

I have two trees in blossom and not a single leaf on my oak tree. Dh keeps saying well you wouldn't but, I don't know why .

I’ve just noticed a few leaves on the top of an oak @SunshineCake, only just today though. The only thing I water at the minute is my veggies and anything I’ve recently put in. Everything else has survived a cold winter and I tend to think they’ll be ok waiting for the rain (I have a large garden, but not many flowers though and it has been neglected for a few years...I’m slowly retrieving it). I have 27 apple trees and they all blossom at slightly different times (not sure if this is position or variety...I think though it’s variety).

We have a huge oak at the end of our garden and it's only juuuust going green today - I've been keeping an eye on it as it does feel very late. I know it was green in early April 5 years ago, as that's when we viewed the house and fell in love with it!

Plenty of insects and bees here in Essex, but so, so dry. We've had a few specks of rain today but nothing decent expected until next week.