MAY 2008
early May 08 (7th) looks like most perennials have survived Winter. Golden Hop already growing like a goodun - climbing hydranger and hardy geranium looking good (this border was filled up with 20 bags of top soil - have to see what pushes its way back up before heading off to Abercorn nursery)....
wall a bit bear but have just (18th) planted a passion flower, jasmine and ivy so hopefully
more cover soon -
wisteria just flowering - then will grow like the clappers and cover top of wall. Golden Hop trying to climb up next doors forsythia trying to train it
along to of wall
Passiflora starting to sprout new growth, clematis slow, mallow hacked down
Virginia creeper has two long branches along the top and middle of fence which should cover it together with the 4 clematis and verbena bonsaries - will try and train passiflora over door and "down" the fence. need more creeping plants for front of border to creep over border wall
slug food (hostas) coming up well, as is most of the "woodland" bed - pond had sprung a leak so had to fit liner - look at the new wisteria growth along thepond wall which was bear in June 06
Jasmine will hopefully cover front of greenhouse ( recently planted climbing hydranger but will take few years to get going)
Perennial Sweet peas and evergreen clematis
growing in big containers behind goose
umbrella plant in pond nearly breaking through surface need more pond plants
need "cotoneaster horizontalis robusta" to grow up lower fence, planted buddleia in mid border to grow up above bushes
24th May - Golden hop growing well
and the wisteria is in full flower
May 2008 weather summary
Mean temperatures well above average. Notable rainfall variations, with well below average rainfall across the north and well above average across the south.
1st to 8th: Low pressure over the north of the UK on the 1st with some heavy and thundery showers in the south. A ridge of high pressure then extended across the North Sea and covered much of the UK. Clear skies in the south led to a cool night on the 2nd/3rd, with Benson (Oxfordshire) recording a minimum temperature of 3.2 °C. A very mild night on the 3rd/4th, with Yeovilton (Somerset) recording an overnight minimum temperature of 14.8 °C. Some showers and isolated thunderstorms on the 4th. Temperatures during this period peaked at 25.4 °C at Wisley (Surrey) on the 7th.
9th to 11th: The high pressure temporarily broke down, with a generally cyclonic synoptic situation. However, Wiggonholt (Sussex) recorded a temperature of 26.4 °C on the 9th. At the same time, widespread thunderstorms in the west gave 2 cm of hail on the M4 in Wiltshire. Great Malvern (Worcestershire) recorded a maximum temperature of 27.5 °C on the 11th. Low cloud and patchy fog spread from the North Sea into north-east England overnight.
12th to 13th: High pressure over the Faeroes with a ridge of high pressure over much of the UK. Persistent low cloud and fog affected eastern coasts. A cool night on the 12th/13th, with Redesdale Camp (Northumberland) recording a minimum temperature of 3.4 °C.
14th to 17th: The ridge of high pressure persisted over the north where it stayed mainly dry with further low cloud around windward coasts. Low pressure in the south lead to heavy showers and thunderstorms, with Teignmouth (Devon) recording 57.7 mm on the 14th.
18th to 22nd: High pressure over most of the UK with a weak front pushing into the south-west on the 22nd. Generally rather cool with frost in places during the mornings through this period, with the minimum temperature down to -3.2 °C at Alston Springhouse Park (Cumbria) on the 19th/20th.
23rd to 31st: Mainly unsettled conditions with low pressure close to or over the UK giving showers or longer spells of rain and temperatures around average. Strong to gale force easterly winds on the 24th. Heavy rainfall over SE England on the 25th, with Otterbourne (Hampshire) recording 55.0 mm. Heavy showers on the 26th saw 25 mm of rain falling quite widely across the south, with Nettlecombe (Somerset) recording 42.7 mm. Manston (Kent) recorded 121.4 mm during the 4-day period between 24th and 27th, including 19.4 mm in one hour early on the 28th. Westonbirt (Gloucestershire) recorded 38.2 mm on 27th.