Post by murrayc on May 20, 2020 8:08:21 GMT
2020 always had a ring of strangeness to it even before Covid 19 came calling. I think its the double emphasis of the years and the subconscious association with 20/20 vision, the idea that there was something special to be expected from it.And so it has been, from the heaviest rainfall on record throughout the winter to the warmest, driest April and now a similar ending to May. But what the weather has produced, for those lucky enough to get outside in gardens and allotments to experience, is one of the loveliest springs I can remember, full of beautiful mornings, amazing shades of green progressing subtly as the days lengthen, and an abundance of flowers, from fruit blossoms to roses and climbers.
As far as veg crops go I've had a disappointing time raising seedlings, for many reasons not least the uncertainties of early March in the days before and the start of lockdown. Things that weren't done properly then had to be repeated a month later, by which time the temperature had climbed quite a lot. And of course this year there has been no fall-back option of getting in a sneaky tray of veg from the garden centre to replace your own failures! But what there is planted seems to have taken well, though watering is a lot higher up the agenda than it usually is in mid-May, and breaking new ground is a massive effort with the earth like concrete.
I'd like to hear what others have experienced, especially with the dramatic swing in weather conditions. What has worked well for you and what do you foresee in growing terms this summer?