Damp kills everything here, and I don't get as much rain as you guys. I find that to keep rosemary or sage alive I have to move them undercover for the winter. I just throw them in the barn it's not heated so it freezes but it keeps the rain off.
Exactly @Skandi. It's difficult to explain to people the effect wet cold has on plants, compared to dry cold. I'm sure some folk think I'm exaggerating when I say it. My records are also lower than they should be as the wee rain gauge is narrower than the official ones used by the Met office. I know @Balgay.Hill mentioned it on a thread when we were comparing levels with Norfolk, as someone had shown records from that area. I'd seen the devices but it was only when he said they were around five inches diameter that I decided to experiment and added a funnel to one of mine. The difference just adding one inch, never mind two, is quite astonishing
Further north than where I am - the annual rainfall can be measured in metres not feet.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
A rain gauge (even a cheap one like mine) is calibrated to give the depth (not volume) of rainfall per unit area accounting for the width of the opening or funnel and the shape of the gauge itself, so for example mine is shaped like an inverted cone so the depth between the 5mm mark and the 6mm mark is less than between 1mm and 2mm but greater than 10mm to 11mm. If you put an extra funnel in the top that's wider than the collecting area of the gauge, you'll get an over-inflated measurement because you've collected rain from a greater area than the gauge is calibrated for.
I once did an Open University course where one of the experiments was making and using simple rain gauges. To avoid having to do much calibration we were advised to use straight-sided flat-bottomed containers so we could just measure the depth of water collected with a ruler.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Yes - I've seen those articles @Balgay.Hill - and often wondered how they eventually decided on the accuracy of the amount collected! You only need to look at the depth of water in a bucket after a night of rain, compared to something much narrower to see how big a difference there is. It's all a bit beyond me I think I understand your post @JennyJ! I did it as an experiment, and it was really surprising. I'd assumed those wee gauges would be reasonably accurate, but I wondered if they were wildly out because they're a good bit narrower than the official ones. Looking at them this morning, the 'normal' one was showing 13mm, and the one with little funnel was 18mm.
I don't know if there's an official M. Office record for here, like the one the other person had posted, but I know our average annual rainfall is around four feet or slightly above.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I don't know if there's an official M. Office record for here, like the one the other person had posted, but I know our average annual rainfall is around four feet or slightly above.
How the other half live! Our nearest weather station is in the dark brown on the average rainfall map. Average annual rainfall 1991-2020 was 582.20 mm, which is less than 2 feet. Damp is rarely a problem.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Thanks for that @raisingirl - I'll take a look. I know the weather stations are all a good distance from me - the nearest one is Bishopton, which is the one I use for general weather. It's usually pretty good for the actual weather, but the temps are slightly higher as we're further inland and a bit higher. The metcheck one is usually nearer for temps but less accurate for the weather itself. I just like keeping a record for my own use and it's been interesting in the year or so I've had the gauge. It's always surprising how different areas can be @JennyJ. I've often been surprised at just how low your rainfall is.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes our nearest weather stations are quite far as well @Fairygirl. Minehead is at sea level - we're at nearly 250m - so we're both colder and wetter. And Dunkeswell is in the Dartmoor rain shadow, so usually colder but drier than us. The map must be approximate, averaging between the stations, but interesting as a general overview nationally
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
My soil is quite heavy but I’ve found that Thyme and Oregano are doing well in my herb garden. But some varieties better than others.
The area gets afternoon sun but I did wonder if it would be enough and some areas are quite shady.
The golden oregano has fared the better than the standard green and is in one of the shadier spots.
I’ve tried about 6 or 7 Thyme varieties - original plan was a thyme path with a mix of varieties.
Creeping thyme failed the first winter and died away completely. Silver Posie is hanging on but very woody and ‘sad’. I can’t remember off hand the others, would need to rummage through my notebooks.
The Thymes which have grown wonderfully well even in the shadiest, dampest spots (liverworts and moss grows around them) are those I have grown from supermarket herbs - both plain and lemon thyme. Just rooted in water from packs of fresh herbs.
I don’t know if my winters are as wet as yours but I didn’t add grit to any of the planting holes.
I've never had any luck with Thyme, I am literally growing everything else but I can't get Thyme to grow. Any thoughts? Pots versus in the ground, sunshine etc?
Thyme mostly needs sun and very sharp drainage. Some are better/easier than others - hundreds of varieties. They need treated the same way as lavender - trimmed after flowering, and accept that they might need replaced every so often if conditions are less than perfect, which mine certainly aren't. Experimenting is the only way.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
I know @Balgay.Hill mentioned it on a thread when we were comparing levels with Norfolk, as someone had shown records from that area. I'd seen the devices but it was only when he said they were around five inches diameter that I decided to experiment and added a funnel to one of mine. The difference just adding one inch, never mind two, is quite astonishing
Further north than where I am - the annual rainfall can be measured in metres not feet.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/guides/observations/how-we-measure-rainfall
You only need to look at the depth of water in a bucket after a night of rain, compared to something much narrower to see how big a difference there is. It's all a bit beyond me
I think I understand your post @JennyJ! I did it as an experiment, and it was really surprising. I'd assumed those wee gauges would be reasonably accurate, but I wondered if they were wildly out because they're a good bit narrower than the official ones.
Looking at them this morning, the 'normal' one was showing 13mm, and the one with little funnel was 18mm.
I don't know if there's an official M. Office record for here, like the one the other person had posted, but I know our average annual rainfall is around four feet or slightly above.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Minehead (Somerset) UK climate averages - Met Office
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I just like keeping a record for my own use and it's been interesting in the year or so I've had the gauge.
It's always surprising how different areas can be @JennyJ. I've often been surprised at just how low your rainfall is.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
They need treated the same way as lavender - trimmed after flowering, and accept that they might need replaced every so often if conditions are less than perfect, which mine certainly aren't.
Experimenting is the only way.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...