June 2009

[ideasguy]

What a fantastic start to the month here in Ireland. Blues skies, SUNSHINE  and pleasantly warm 

Today I discarded my jacket and ventured out at 7:30 am to catch the bus to Belfast in a short sleeved shirt - a good decision. Its not something you can do too often in this green isle!

I spent yesterday evening clearing the staging outside the greenhouse, then anything that was big enough was taken from the greenhouse and placed outside.
So much for gradually hardening off and all that stuff, but those plants have more chance sitting outside today than frying in the greenhouse!

[NightHawk]

What a fantastic start to the month here in Ireland. Blues skies, SUNSHINE  and pleasantly warm 

Ditto here too in the northeast of England.

It's going to be a relaxing day for us - not doing anything too strenuous in the garden.  Just the odd bit of pottering about then run for cover under the parosols to cool down again. 

Laurie.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

27c today, been in the garden watering for over two hours, we are not on a meter.

Malcolm

[roiphil]

Yep have got a lovely suntan already or should i say all red 

[ideasguy]

Watering here this evening as well, first this year.

For anyone interested, of the seedlings and young plants I took from the greenhouse to the outside staging, only one tray resented the move- Papaver commutatum (Ladybird poppies)
I was rather surprised that they suffered. They were left overs from the potting up of the large batch which grew from the single packet of seed, so I wasnt too concerned (I think they will recover, but if not Ive lots in single pots)

Great weather for weeding!

[Eric Hardy]

Today is the first June day that I have found the temperature bearable. I am not a hot weather person  . The first two days I was out reasonably early but took shelter during the heat emerging late afternoon and watering and watering. You are lucky Lyn and Malcolm not to be on a meter. We are, and I carry a lot in cans from our butt in which we collect bathwater. Today has been a blessed relief and I got a lot of weeding done this morning while Anthea picked vast quantities of gooseberries. After our backs started to give up we both sat on a garden seat topping and tailing which was a nice restful end to the morning.

Eric H

[Eric Hardy]

What has happened to flaming June? Today it  is cold wet and miserable in the Chilterns. And what about Kathie and Laurie? I see there has been snow in upper Teesdale 

[NightHawk]

We're just slightly more north of Teesdale so we haven't had that snow (yet). 

It has been very wet though.  According to our rain gauge, in less than a 24 hour period we have had 1½ inches (38 mm) of rain.
It filled our water butt back up anyway. 

As the song goes, June certainly isn't 'busting out all over.' 

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

Saturday 6th : After sitting in an office all week, I'm looking out at the rain coming down!
I managed to get the grass cut last night, so at least it looks tidy!
After that week of sunshine the grass had grown very little this week. I dread to think what it would be like if we had a prolonged dry spell.
The rain will do good, thats for sure.

[Lyn and Malcolm]

Have had no rain so far today, even did a quick water with the hose as it had been breezy and fairly bright. But looks like we will get a drop of rain in the next hour or two.

Edit now raining 9.30pm
Malcolm

[ideasguy]

It stopped here mid afternoon. I'm just in from sowing some spring onions for my son. He bought the seed and we dug over a wild patch and planted lettuce, beetroot and carrots a few weeks ago. He lives in Belfast and has not been able to get up and sow the rest of his seed. Its a bit late for sowing, but we shall see how they do.

Then I weeded another section of that wild area, digging it over for a packet of peas Ive left over. The soil is as dry as a whistle!
Certainly didn't look like it had been raining!
I filled four large bags with grass, nettles and nettle roots. Those nettles must suck up a lot of moisture!

[Eric Hardy]

June 10th. Today I have been strimming all the areas of long grass that had daffodils growing. We always leave them until June and all the leaves have died down but it does mean that for a while we get pale areas in the grass. With this weather though it will soon green over! I got rained off just before the strimmer went back in the shed 

Question: When do other people do this? it would be nice to do it earlier but I always understood that you have to let the leaves be absolutely dead before cutting. My mother-in-law, years ago, did it very laboriously by tying up each little clump of leaves in a knot and cutting the grass in between with clippers. That way she never got pale patches. That is far too laborious for us because we have far too many to give them individual treatment.

Where is this BBQ Summer we were promised? 

Eric H

[ideasguy]

Ive read you should allow 6 weeks after flowering Eric. By that stage they are still green though.
Ive also read that you should not tie them so they look neat.
Like you, I wait until they die back. They are untidy in habit, but we have to balance that against the cheer they give when they put on such a welcome display in early spring.
Like you, I'd like to hear from other members.

BBQ Summer? Promised? mmm
Cant complain too much though. We need a wee rest now and again, and the rain is very welcome after a blistering hot week.
Mind you, its only welcome for a day or so at a time with a period of sunny days between 
I was out in the greenhouse this evening potting on some plants (we had a heavy shower around 6pm) and it was actually very COLD!

[ideasguy]

Saturday= Rainday?
Just about to go to the garden and down it comes - a big heavy shower.
It will do good of course. I dug a few spots to plant things mid week and the soil is very dry.

Didn't get the grass cut yesterday evening as normal so hope it dries up enough late to let me do that.
Meanwhile tap-tap on computer. More work to those Plant Labels weve been testing recently on the forum.

[Eric Hardy]

June has gone but what a dry month. Yesterday evening, sitting indoors with the patio doors wide open, our neighbour John appeared to see if the old folks next door were OK in the heat.  I supplied him with a large G & T and we sat chatting. He is a very keen gardener and he told me that his water guage has recorded only 8 mm of rain the whole month and that in May there was not enough rain to record anything. No wonder we are having to water such a lot. We are a bit unlucky. On Saturday there were a few thunderstorms around and there were downpours as near as three miles away but it didn't reach us 

[Lyn and Malcolm]

It looks like we have had about 52mm this month. The airport is about one and a half miles away as the crow flies.

Plus hours of watering with hose

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps/city?WEEK=04&MM=06&YY=2009&WMO=03862&LANG=en&SID=03862968a1e4cccb1af7d098e2987f139b201a&ART=PRE&CONT=ukuk&R=0&NOREGION=1&LEVEL=150&REGION=0002&LAND=UK

Malcolm