The start of the second half of 2022 and July turns out to be an extraordinary month weatherwise. In the garden, things are fairly quiet. Various shades of green dominate the rear window view. Thankfully, the roses and fuschias (middle right) along with some potted geraniums and dahlias provide some pink/red colour in the early part of the month...
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| Back Garden - 4/7/22 |
It's now the middle of the month and even the roses have passed their peak. The geraniums and dahlias are still going strong as geraniums and dahlias do. The buddleia's purple spikes have started their long flowering season - its common name of butterfly bush seems to be a bit of a misnomer as it does not appear to attract butterflies in greater numbers than other nectar-rich plants. The hosepipe has also made an appearance for reasons that will become obvious later...
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| Back Garden - 13/7/22 |
We are now at the back end of July and this photo might make a good 'Spot the Difference' puzzle with the photos from earlier in the month! Still, at least the lilies on the patio are putting up a decent show. The potted Calla Lily on the mosaic table was a birthday present for Mary...
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| Back Garden - 30/7/22 |
Jobs in the Garden
- Picked, ate and preserved bush fruits: gooseberry, black/redcurrants
- Harvested garlic
- Cucumbers and tomatoes in abundance
- Regular pickings of French beans, courgettes, swiss chard, spinach, radishes, lettuce, salad greens, mange tout, celery
- Dig up first potatoes
- Extra watering duties due to lack of rainfall
- Pruning, shredding and composting continues
July 2022 Weather
July's weather stats are summarized below. Very hot, very dry, very uncomfortable! According to my Davis Weather Station (data collection only from November 2019), July was the second driest month after May 2020 and, on the 18th July, recorded its highest ever outside temperature of 38 ℃.
Overnight temperatures of between 16 - 18 ℃ are generally recommended for a good nights sleep. Below, I plot the indoor maximum and minimum temperatures for July 2022 recorded by my Davis Weather Station:
Throughout the whole month, the indoor temperature did not fall below 20 ℃ at anytime during the day or night. On 14 nights, the indoor temperature was 24 ℃ or higher. We definitely felt sleep-deprived in July despite the use of a fan overnight.
Daily min/max temperatures are shown below [click for a larger image]. Daytime maximum temperatures were 21 ℃ or higher on every day of the month. And, of course, the record high temperatures observed throughout the UK on the 18th and 19th July can be clearly seen in my weather station data.
Below, solar radiation and rainfall for July 2022 are plotted out [click image for larger graphic]. England had the driest July since 1935 according to the UK Met Office. That was certainly mirrored by my weather station data and the fact that my rainwater butts ran dry and I had to resort to occasional watering with tap water for moisture-sensitive plants.
A comparison of temperature data (2020 - 2022) for the month of July is shown below. In terms of average temperatures, 2021 and 2022 were similar and both warmer than 2020. However, it is the 4 ℃ higher maximum temeperature in 2022 that distinguishes this year from previous years.
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| 'Wild' Garden - 7/7/22 |
...and one of its residents keeping cool in the pond...
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