Even here in the southern Hebrides we were desperately short of water - apparently it was the driest first half of the year on record. There were huge brown patches in my grass too, especially where the soil is shallow over rock. The greenest bits were where the clover grows. I've got too large an area to bother removing it so I just mow over it every week - not too short because the bees love the flowers. In May and early June the buttercup flowers attract the (relatively rare) marsh fritillary butterflies too. Anyway, it looks much prettier than a manicured green sward (that's my excuse).
Can't get manure here - even if it were available I wouldn't want to lug it four miles over rough terrain, but there's no shortage of seaweed. I don't put it on the grass, but it's wonderful on the vegetable patch and on the compost heap.
Hi, I live in West Sussex,UK and we have not had a good rainstorm for 3 months!!.I planted potatoes (Homeguard variety) and they have grown well.However, when cooked they go to mush.One minute they are not cooked and the next minute they are mush.I have watered the whole vegetable garden, religiously, every night, for the last 2 months. Does anyone have an answer to my "mushy potatoes problem" please? Many thanks.
We have had rain in the Preston area almost every day for the last month. It has been more like early winter than summer here.
The last time we had a relatively "hot" day was on the 3rd July. How do I know that? Because that was the day when I started to paint my window frames outside, and I've been waiting for a dry, warm day ever since to apply the gloss coat.
We have even had floods around here recently - and yet we still have a hosepipe ban in force.
My back garden is partly flooded right now, and my lawn is soggy, as I found out when I ran across it in my socks to shoo away a cat who was about to use my flower bed as a toilet!
I've even had to switch the heating on in the house a couple of times recently - in the middle of summer!
Reply to Star Rocker: Please send some of your surplus rain down to the East Midlands. I've never experienced such dry conditions here, and so many trees and shrubs are looking miserable and dropping their leaves.
What a difference in conditions across the country.
Many apologies for blogging about drought if you are being flooded! These weather extremes really are causing problems for gardeners everywhere.
Very interesting thread on the drought situation in parts of UK. It could make you feel better if you can get rid of the lawn ! We previously gardened in east Yorkshire and drought arrived every summer. Now we are living in southern Portugal and drought is a normal part of the summer, it is constantly amazing how plants adapt and cope - don't give up hope !
Can anyome tell me why when I have 2 Japanese acers in the same patch of soil that one comes through green when it was origially bought as red and the old one that was there is still a beautifull red
Interesting to follow your drought in the midlands. I'm in Massachusetts and facing exactly the same conditions. My Viburnum is also looking sadder and sadder and with our water ban, I can only hand water shrubs and flowers. The grass cracks when I walk on it. Our summers have been too cool & wet for the past 3 summers. We loved the sun and heat in June, but this is just tooooo long to go without more than a 20 minute sprinkle every 3-4 weeks.
why are so many plants growing taller this spring in the heat and drought? shouldn't they reduce topgrowth to retain water? farmers have commented on it as well as us gardeners.
Welcome rain arrived last week, and the lawn is already looking green again in most areas. It's amazing how quickly grass recovers, although trees and shrubs that have lost their foliage probably won't recover this year.
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Can't get manure here - even if it were available I wouldn't want to lug it four miles over rough terrain, but there's no shortage of seaweed. I don't put it on the grass, but it's wonderful on the vegetable patch and on the compost heap.
The last time we had a relatively "hot" day was on the 3rd July. How do I know that? Because that was the day when I started to paint my window frames outside, and I've been waiting for a dry, warm day ever since to apply the gloss coat.
We have even had floods around here recently - and yet we still have a hosepipe ban in force.
My back garden is partly flooded right now, and my lawn is soggy, as I found out when I ran across it in my socks to shoo away a cat who was about to use my flower bed as a toilet!
I've even had to switch the heating on in the house a couple of times recently - in the middle of summer!
What a difference in conditions across the country.
Many apologies for blogging about drought if you are being flooded! These weather extremes really are causing problems for gardeners everywhere.