PUSHING THE BORDERS

We had some record breaking warm yesterday with some areas reaching 27C. For me it hit 24C. Next week to be much cooler. Back to some rain also.
How about you?

It’s been another cold and dreary winter here in Shropshire. February has been cold with lots of sub-zero temperatures. The last 4 days have been gloriously sunny. Though not particularly warm it has felt pleasant in the sun after all the misery. It has finally brought out the crocuses and dwarf daffodils in my garden, later than normal. In the greenhouse plants which would normally have been fine look dead - things like Fuchsia arborescens, Dendroseris, Erythrina, various agaves and Sonchus. I said on GOTE that I was going to stop growing these risky things. So much for that resolution. Stupidly, I’ve just ordered a load more stuff quite probably destined for a frozen death.

February was one of the coldest we've had in years, but starting yesterday warm, moist oceanic air started to billow out of the south and we hit 20 C yesterday. Not surprisingly, it is rainy now with all that warm air hitting the cold air coming of the continent. Supposed to get colder again by midweek, around 5 C at night and 12 C by day. Spring is coming, albeit slower than "usual".

Lovely sunny days but ice on the pond this morning!

Our first 80f of the year is predicted the next two days...false summer. After that a big cool off and rain.

A week ago it was snowing with scattered frost. Today I got up and it was 15 C. Supposed to hit 26 by midday. Wacky weather.

Well possibly one of the best starts to April I can recall, reminiscent of lockdown when the spring weather was so lovely nobody minded queuing for miles and waiting for hours outside the supermarkets. Quite chilly mornings but glorious warm and sunny days so plants like the magnolias, camellias and cherry blossom have been lovely. However, my app suggests that the next 10 days will be quite the opposite :(
In my front garden:





















Sunshine everyday! Let’s hope this won’t be a distant memory!

The sunshine has been fabulous but we really are desperate for some rain. Just 2.8mm in the past 2 months.

Martin...I have a soft spot for camellias. My dad who passed about a year ago had grown them since my earliest memories...and I've now rooted a few cuttings of his remaining plants. If only I could ID the varieties, but I will enjoy them regardless. And the armandii...another sign (and smell) of spring that we anticipate each year!

Paul, we obviously have stolen your rain, not more than a couple dry days in a row for the past month or two. What would we do if we couldn't grumble about the weather :roll:

Rain, most pf the night.
I make this point...not because we needed it...but because yesterday I washed the cars, started concreting the new shed base and left the washing out last night! :roll: