Drought

[Noflora]

Where are you all? I hope Kitten and Gloria are ok, I miss them and the whole weather chat. It's been too dry for weeks in my garden but I waited for this week's chill to pass and planted out the tomatoes, courgettes and aubergines yesterday. Also the summer flowers, it feels instantly cheerier here.

It has been rather dry, Noflora, and the beginning of this week doesn't look like there's much chance of rain either. Thursday onwards/through next weekend/early the following week, might see some showers before high pressure builds again later that week (although that's waaaay into the future when it comes to forecasting!)

(Apologies for the lack of posting - we had a 'guest' arrive in the form of our first foster dog, 10 days after lockdown started and she's kept me sane me busy these past few weeks! She should be going to her new home this Thursday so should have more time for weather chat then!)

Where are you all? I hope Kitten and Gloria are ok,

That's so bizarre I was just thinking that so came here to look for them.
Gloria we need photos - it's the rules you know.
Kitten hope you are ok.

Oh crumbs - I forgot the rules!

Another one.

What is she gloria?

The lack of rain has been worrying me. I know we had a wet start to the year but we've not had much rain for two months in Hampshire. I have to trundle out there and water my veg most days. And the local cats keep using the dry earth as litter trays .

That's no dog, it's a small pony

I bet she's fast Gloria. Is that a tennis ball I spy. I love a dog that retrieves, so joyous playing with them.

So got to keep watering the new shrubs on a very dry southfacing slope for the forseeable. Not like there is much else to do. The garden has been so appreciated in this mainly fab weather since lockdown. All those rains seem a lifetime ago but I bet not to those poor people struggling to get repairs done after the flooding.

megletthesecond - she's a lurcher.

antipodalpizza that's what DH said when he first saw her!

Noflora - oh yes, she's a placid, calm dog most of the time....until she sees a cat or a squirrel - you really have to watch it when you're out walking her because she's almost too strong for me when she sees something. We also used to have neighborhood cats that came in the garden.....not anymore!

Yes, lots of watering in the week to come. The allotment has gone from a bog to very dry in a matter of months.

Baby shetlands are smaller...and adult fallabellas!

Raining here in Scotland

It's drier than normal because there's less emissions from planes, cars factories etc so there's less cloud condensation nuclei for water vapour to condense around, it also why we've had bluer skies than normal. A similar (but shorter) phenomenon was noticed when planes were grounded following 9/11 and the opposite happened after the Iceland volcano eruption because of the extra dust in the atmosphere.

I'm in Norfolk so it barely rains here anyway and we've had 2 days of rain since lockdown began.

Demented Your post prompted me to look at Edinburgh daylight hours, pretty much 45 mins longer than here, the difference always amazes me (even though I do understand why!).

Could be the warmest day of the year so far - temperatures in the 20''s, maybe mid-high 20's in the SE.
Risk of thunderstorms tomorrow.

You were right, 26.1C here. But no forcast for rain . But I learned astonishingly that in April the cumulative total of 250.9 hours of sunshine here represented 60.3 per cent of possible sunshine, a feat only 4 other (summer) months achieved since records began over 100 yrs ago.

We had 27 degrees in South Yorkshire today - perfect.

Soooo dry here on Surrey/Hampshire borders. One day of rain since lockdown. All the Spring flowers came out and went to seed really quickly. Forget me nots, Aqualigias and Alliums already done.

Did anyone get a really hard late frost last week which damaged lots of rose buds. Mine are coming out all distorted. Really sad.

Something's odd in my garden. I can't quite put my finger on it. The air seems clearer but my plants look strange. It's as if the freshness has gone from their leaves. They don't have that dry August look but they don't look 'right' for the last week in May. I've been gardening for many years and I've not seen it before. Also they seem as if they've stopped growing. I'm watering and feeding but it's as if they're frozen. Apart from the lavender.

@SpyApp

Could have duplicated your post - especially about the stopping growing. Al my herbaceous plants sprung into life & now look stunted. Can't quite explain it - very odd.

I'm glad I thought to visit the weather board, cos it means I see I'm not alone with plants behaving strangely!! We had a spurt, then they stopped, a few tomatoes that self seeded are growing again but other stuff is very slow....

I am wondering whether the early warm and dry weather promoted lots of new growth, then we had that week of very cold weather, which gave them a shock. Add in no rain since, and they have gone into a kind of hibernation. My Hostas are also in a really bad way, all dry and burnt.

I think some of my plants just lose water quicker than they can absorb more through their (watered) roots. Perhaps while they are this young and tender they are less resilient than when they are older. And now they will have to contend with the wind in the forcast as well!

Nooo I HATE wind.

One of my hydrangeas, which is in full sun, has leaves that have gone brown round the edges.

Baaaahhhhh my hostas are in a really shady spot in the garden and are loving it. I have to keep the pesky slugs and snails at bay though.

Yeah the weather has been so strange from
Warm to frost to warm again. Maybe the plants are confused!

This seems unprecedented for May. Next week looks warm too in the south.

I have loved sitting in the sunshine in the garden this spring, it has felt very precious to have those moments while everything else has been going on. But it is slightly freaking me out that there has been no rain and no sign of any to come on the forecast. It does feel like August, all a bit parched and dry looking now. I would really love a good week of very wet rain. And then the sun can shine again