View from the Rear Window - August 2024

 August - named after Emperor Augustus in 8 BC (BCE), it was originally the sixth month (Sextilis) of the 10-month Roman Calendar before January and February were added.

Garden photo taken on 9th August. Lush greens and the roses in full flower. Gazebo still up following Mary's 70th birthday celebrations.

Photo 1: Looking over the Back Garden (9th August 2025)

Daily garden photos for August can be viewed in Video 1.

Video 1: Daily Photos of the Rear Garden - August 2024

Overall, August was not a bad month. Generally dry and warm if not particularly hot or sunny. Weather stats for our Hereford garden are summarised in the table below.

August 2024
Weather Parameter	Value	Dates
Average Monthly Temperature	18 oC
Maximum Monthly Temperature	30 oC	11th
Minimum Monthly Temperature	8 oC	17th, 30th
Number of Air Frost Days	0
Number of Hot Days (> 25 oC)	8
Monthly Precipitation	14.0 mm
Greatest 24 h Precipitation	3.4 mm	13th - 14th
Number of Dry Days	18
Monthly Sunshine Hours (estimated)	159
Highest Wind Speed	47 km/h	23rd
Heating Degree Days	63.6
Cooling Degree Days	41.6

First half of the month was warm (Figure 1) with both sunny and cloudy days (Figure 2). Temperature and sunshine levels both dropped in the final two weeks of August. Hereford caught the edge of Storm Lilian (23/24th) with about 5 mm rain over the two days (note: the high rainfall at the rhs of Figure 4 was in September).

Figure 1: Min/Max Daily Temperatures for August 2024

Figure 2: Rainfall & Sunshine for August 2024

With weather data for the past five August months (2020 - 2024), we can start to look for trends, albeit not with high confidence over such a short period. August 2020 was unusually hot and sunny (Figure 3 & Figure 4) but that doesn't hide a general upward trend in monthly maximum temperatures. Conversely, nighttime (daily minimum) temperatures are trending downwards. Overall, the monthly mean temperatures have stayed remarkably constant (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Temperature Data for August (2020 - 2024)

Low rainfall is the norm for August in Hereford (Figure 4) with August 2020 a strong outlier. Sunshine levels have remained fairly constant with the exception of 2022.

Figure 4: Rain, Wind & Sunshine Trends for August (2020 - 2024)

The next three figures are taken from the UK Met Office's monthly report for August 2024. The location of Herefordshire is marked with the City of Hereford in the centre of the county.

While eastern and southern England (excluding the south-west) enjoyed above average temperatures in August, the rest of the country, including Hereford, had to make do with just average temperatures (Figure 5). 

Figure 5: UK Mean Temperature Anomalies for August 2024

The west of Scotland had a very wet August while England, including Hereford, had very little rain (Figure 4 & Figure 6).

Figure 6: UK Rainfall (relative) for August 2024

Sunshine was in short supply during August apart from East Anglia, NE England, the east coast of Scotland and, somewhat anomalously, Anglesey off the north Wales coast. Sunglasses and parasols were not required attire in Hereford!!

Figure 7: UK Sunshine Hours (relative) for August 2024

Jobs in the Garden

• Harvesting cucumbers (14), tomatoes (2.2 kg), French beans (3 kg), courgettes/marrows (13 kg), celery, chard, spinach, sweetcorn (28, freeze), sweet peppers (0.5 kg), potatoes (3 kg), broad beans (1 kg), salad leaves/radish, blackberries (0.2 kg), raspberries (4 kg)
• Weeding, composting and general gardening.

Photo 2: First Sweet Pepper (15/8/24)

Flora & Fauna (seen in the garden)

• 2 x Blackbirds
• 2 x Blue Tits
• 2 x Collared Doves
• 3 x Crows
• 5 x House Martins
• 20 x House Sparrows

Video 2: House Sparrows on Bird Feeder (slo-mo)

• 1 x Magpie
• 20 x Starlings

Video 3: Starlings Mobbing the Bird Feeder

• 3 x Wood Pigeons (including 2 x young on the nest)

Photo 3: Wood Pigeon Young on the Nest

• 1 x Brimstone Butterfly
• 2 x Large White Butterflies
• 7 x Small White Butterflies
• 1 x Gatekeeper Butterfly

Photo 4: Gatekeeper Butterfly on Oxeye Daisy(?)

• Field/wood mouse

Photo 5: Field Mouse (aka Wood Mouse) in the Garden

And finally some photos from the Garden ...

Photo 6: Water Lily, sunken pond (2/8/24)

Photo 7: Rowanberries (9/8/24)

Photo 8: Looking Down the Secret Garden (9/8/24)

Photo 9: Clematis on the Shed/Summer house (28/8/24)

Photo 10: Paradise Garden (28/8/24)

Photo 11: Up the Garden Path

Photo 12: Primula viallii

Photo 13: Common Green Bottle Fly on Dahlia

Photo 14: Echinops

Photo 15: Cyclamen

Photo 16: Roses (9/8/24)

Winterbourne House Again

 Since Mary had her heart transplant in 2003, we have made six-monthly trips (March & September) to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for her regular check-ups. Apart from one instance, we have always caught the train to the University railway station which means an early start (7 am). Arriving at the QE Hospital around 8.30 to 9.00 in the morning, Mary is usually finished by midday.

Rather than return immediately to Hereford, we may venture into Birmingham itself or visit one of the attractions close to the University of Birmingham. Within walking distance of the hospital is the Barber Institute of Fine Arts (due to re-open in 2026), the Lapworth Museum of Geology, and Winterbourne House & Garden.

Despite the changeable weather and cold wind, we decided on a return trip to Winterbourne House even though it was only a year ago since our last visit. For some reason, we did not go to Winterbourne after Mary's autumn check-up in 2024 - we need to remedy that this coming autumn.

Photo 1: Wrapped Up Against the Cold Wing (Winterbourne, March 2025)

First stop was the cafe where we had soup of the day, bread roll and a pot of tea. The cafe was full so we sat outside, thankful for a little sunshine and a sheltered position that took the edge of the bitter wild. We were kept amused by the antics of a pair of corvids and a pair of robins.

Photo 2: Crow Enjoying His/her Lunch (Winterbourne, March 2025)

Photo 3: Inquisitive Robin (Winterbourne, March 2025)

A quick walk around the garden ...

Photo 4: Hazel Arch (Winterbourne, March 2025)

... with longer stays in the glasshouses ...

Photo 5: Succulents (Winterbourne, March 2025)

Photo 6: Succulents (Winterbourne, March 2025)

Photo 7: Orchid Glasshouse (Winterbourne, March 2025)

Photo 8: Fragrant bulbs (Winterbourne, March 2025)

Photo 9: Western Skunk Cabbage (Winterbourne, March 2025)

Photo 10: Spring Flowers in Terracotta Display (Winterbourne, March, 2024)

Photo 11: Coming Out of the Shadows

Our visit was 10 days earlier in Spring compared with 2024 and some of the flowers were less well developed. Just time for another cuppa and piece of cake but setting off for the railway station and the journey home.

Peat-Free Compost

Among a number of must-do initiatives to reverse the current global warming trend, the preservation and restoration of peatlands offers an easy win-win strategy. Peatlands (bogs, fens, mires, moors) sequester carbon dioxide and provide unique habitats for many plants and animals. Approximately 10% of the UK land area is peatland.

Peat has been the mainstay of UK horticulture since the 1930s when it was included in the formulation of John Innes composts. Peat itself contains very little in the way of plant nutrients but is an excellent base medium due to its water retention, pest-free and open structure characteristics. In 2010, about one million cubic metres were extracted every year in the UK just for horticultural use (two-thirds of which was used by amateur gardeners). A further two million cubic metres were imported just to satisfy the needs and desires for growing flowers and vegetables! The continued use of peat is unsustainable and destroying unique ecosystems.

Photo 1: Entrance to Fertile Fibre

Bagged peat-based compost sold has not been available in retail outlets (e.g. garden centres) since 2024. Professional/industrial users have until 2026 to phase out peat products with a few exceptions (e.g. growing mushrooms and bog plants). By 1930, peat use will not be allowed in the UK.

We have made a positive effort to be peat-free for at least 20 years though it is not always possible to completely avoid it; for example, when buying pot plants from a nursery/garden centre. Some of the early peat-free composts were, frankly, not very good. Finding a good peat-free seed compost was especially difficult.

For many years we have been using coir-based composts. And, in particular, those produced by Fertile Fibre, a local Herefordshire company just a few miles away. They offer the full range of composts (seed, multi-purpose and potting) including vegan and biodynamic options. In our experience, the coir-based composts are the best peat-substitutes for sowing seeds and potting on. Even our carnivorous pitcher and sundew plants, whose natural habitats are peatlands, do well in coir.

Yesterday, we paid our annual trip to Fertile Fibre to pick up supplies of bagged seed and potting compost along with coir blocks used to prepare the growing media for my Quadgrows and Veg/Salad Planters.

Photo 2: 5 Kg Coir Bales

Photo 3: 60L Bags of Seed & Potting Compost

I'll be spending a little more time in the kitchen garden and polytunnel from now on though it would be nice if the weather warmed up a little.

First Cutting of the Greensward 2025

 My next door neighbour has a small lawn (Photo 1) and kindly donates the grass clippings for my hot composting bins. In return, I take all his weeds, shrub and tree prunings. It saves time, money and carbon emissions, by avoiding the trip to the waste/recycling centre (a 5-mile round trip), and feeds my hungry hot composters! We do not have a lawn so fresh green grass mowings are always welcome.

Photo 1: Rear Garden with Neighbour's Lawn Marked

Photo 2 shows the first cut, about 15-20 litres of grass clippings, along with the woody prunings that are part of the deal ...

Photo 2: First Greensward Cut (2025)

This year, the first cut was on March 9th (i.e. the 68th day of the year). In my 2024 post on this topic, I looked at a number of factors (winter month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine hours and number of frosts) that might influence the timing of the first greensward mowing (phenology). Based on the last 6 years (2020 - 2025), average temperatures in December (Figure 1, R² = 0.83) and February (Figure 2, R² = 0.46) have the best predictive power for estimating the date of the first lawn trimming.

Figure 1: December Mean Temperature (℃) vs Day of the Year for the First Grass Cutting 

Figure 2: February Mean Temperature (℃) vs Day of the Year for the First Grass Cutting 

Presumably, January temperatures in this part of the world are close to the minimum growth temperature for grass (4 ℃ to 5 ℃) and therefore do not have a measurable impact. The importance of December and February temperatures is illustrated in the following graph (Figure 3) - a correlation (R² = 0.89) between the average December + February temperature and the first mow date. 

Figure 3: December/February Mean Temperature (℃) vs Day of the Year for the First Grass Cutting 

Note that the choice of date for the first mowing is subject to a number of influences unrelated to the overall winter weather. For example, has there been a period of dry weather prior to cutting and does my neighbour feel in the mood for mowing the lawn! Taking these external factors into account, the relationship shown in Figure 3 is better than I expected.

Wild about Daffodils

 This year's first fully open daffodil appeared in our garden on the 27th February. This was a little later than normal which did not bode well for the first Daffodil Weekend in the Golden Triangle on the Herefordshire/Gloucestershire border.

Fortunately, the recent period of sunny days meant the nature reserve known as Gwen & Vera's Fields provided a good display of these delicate wild daffodils. These two small wildflower meadows/orchards are examples of what used to be a common feature of the area around Newent.

Photo 1: Gwen & Vera's Field

Photo 2: Gwen & Vera's Field

Without the benefit of long sunny days, the display of golden daffodils was less impressive in Betty Daws Wood ...

Photo 3: Wild Daffodils in Betty Daw's Wood

On the plus side, the display should be even better next weekend (15th/16th March) when Kempley hosts the event. Last year's Daffodil Weekends took place later in March and were all the better for it.

St Mary's Church, Dymock has a permanent display about the Dymock Poets who resided and visited the area at the start of WWI (World War 1).

Which Season is Warming the Fastest?

 

Photo 1: Crocuses in the Garden (3rd March 2025)

This BBC article answered the titular question by declaring Spring to be the fastest warming season in the United Kingdom. They were reporting on a study by Climate Central which you can read here. Please refer to the BBC and Climate Central links for further information.

The graphic below was taken from the BBC article and shows how much the seasons have warmed, since 1970, for the whole of the UK. See the Climate Central post for a breakdown into England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland.

Figure 1: Mean UK Seasonal Temperature Changes since 1970

So, in order of increased warming, we have Winter, Summer, Autumn and Spring.

I thought it would be interesting to see whether these trends were repeated locally. Since the records from my Davis Weather Station cover too short a time to elicit any climatic change, I decided to use the data (1931 to date) from the nearest Met Office station at Ross-on-Wye.

Initially, I looked at the complete data set from 1931 - 2024 using the meteorological definition of the seasons: Spring (MAM), Summer (JJA), Autumn (SON) and Winter (DJF). The scatter plots for all fiur seasons are presented below (Figures 2 - 5). Note that all temperatures are in ℃ and the regression equations are shown in each figure.

Figure 2: Spring Temperatures in Ross-on-Wye (1931 - 2024)

Figure 3: Summer Temperatures in Ross-on-Wye (1931 - 2024)

Figure 4: Autumn Temperatures in Ross-on-Wye (1931 - 2024)

Figure 5: Winter Temperatures in Ross-on-Wye (1931 - 2024)

Interestingly, there is rather more scatter in the Winter plot compared with the other three seasons, possibly indicative of greater weather variability in the winter season. Nevertheless, there are discernible upward trends in temperature for all four seasons over the full 94 years of available data. I have summarised those trends in the following bar chart; the temperature change (y-axis) is the slope of the regression line multiplied by 100 (i.e. the expected change in temperature for a whole century of global warming).

Figure 6: Seasonal Warming Trends (℃/century) for Ross-on-Wye (1931-2024 data)

It should be noted that the seasonal order of warming (from lowest to highest) is Summer, Spring, Winter and Autumn. A very different order to the one reported in the BBC and Climate Central articles. There is, however, a very simple reason for this: the different timescales used in the Ross-on-Wye analysis (1931 - 2024) and the BBC/CC analysis (1970 - 2024). If I repeat the above exercise, but restrict the data analysis to the 1970 - 2024 period, then the bar chart looks like this ...

Figure 7: Seasonal Warming Trends (℃/century) for Ross-on-Wye (1970-2024 data)

... and the order of seasonal warming is Winter (lowest), Summer, Autumn and Spring (highest) as reported by the BBC/CC.

It is worth taking a second look at Figures 6 & 7 and particularly the temperature axes. Figure 7 infers a warming rate of approximately 3 ℃/century since 1970; in other words we're going 'to hell in a high  cart'. The warming rate (1.8 ℃/century) looks a little less scary (Figure 6) over the longer period (1931-2024) because it hides the absence of warming between 1931-1970 and the recent acceleration from 1970.

There is still time to avoid the worst case scenarios that global warming will bring but we desperately need to up our game.