May What’s Growing On
about this month
A chilly N NE wind which has continued from the end of April and through the beginning of the month finally gave in to change in the weather on the 10th to warmer temperatures. A change in the wind direction overnight from N-NE to S-SE changed daytime temperatures from cold wind 10 to a warm 16℃ with 21℃ predicted on the 11th.
Finally the 12th has bought some well needed rain, that type that gets you really wet. It’s now the 21st and it has rained on and off every day since with a mixed bag heavy showers, temperatures have been in the mid teens though most days
From the 22nd-26th ssw winds temperatures have been between in the mid 20s with high of 27℃
My Garden habitat
The garden has really grown on this month, from being so dry to the first spots of rain. Mid month and the Ragged robin is in flower and Horseshoe vetch is just showing it’s first few blooms
As an observation 26th, temp 25℃ there seems to be a lot of flowers in bloom and very few pollinators
Crown vetch has had some seriously vigorous growth since the rain and may need bringing into check although its not even in flower yet.
Both the Dames violet and Garlic Mustard have Orange-tip Caterpillars on them this year
The Greenhouse
The greenhouse has had some high temperatures into 90s since the weather warmed on the 10th, so have had rigged up the 12v fan to my solar battery setup. The extra circulation of air can make a difference of around 10℃ it also seems to have made a difference to an annoying green fly problem only on my potted Horse-shoe Vetch and Sainfoin. The door is opened and closed every day the windows very rarely get closed unless the winter weather is really bad.
What’s Growing On
- Flowering this month: Meadow Saxafage, Dandilion, Ragged Robin, Speedwell, Red Campion, Centaurea montana, Horse-shoe vetch, Kidney Vetch, Common Vetch, Meadow Clary (Salvia pratensis), Wild Wall flowers, Red valarian, Ox-eye Daisy, Common Knapweed, Salad Burnett, Meadow Buttercup, Red Thyme, Common Rockrose, Red Valarian
- Planted out this month: Red Campion, Wild Thyme
- Plants in the Greenhouse:
- Butterflies in the Garden: Orange-tip (M+F), green-veined white M+F, 26th 1st Brown Argus emerged
Same list as last month, Devils-bit Scabious is doing particularly well have around 40 plants in 9cm pots, sown in a tray the seed was collected from the garden in 2016.