An Odour to Garlic

 “Garlick maketh a man wynke, drynke, and stynke.” Thomas Nashe

“Shallots are for babies; Onions are for men; garlic is for heroes.” Unknown

“A garlic caress is stimulating. A garlic excess soporific.” Curnonsky

“Garlic. Life stinks with it. Life stinks without it.” Deborah Morris

“A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.” New York expression (Yiddish or Jewish?)

Photo 1: Last Year's Onion, This Year's Potato Plot

While preparing this year's potato and sweetcorn bed, a decision had to be made about the orphan garlic plants. These had sprouted during the warm February from cloves I had clearly missed while harvesting last season's crop (Photo 1). Fortunately, we are still working our way through last year's harvest so they weren't missed in a culinary sense.

Garlic is beneficial to roses in so many ways that Mary had already relocated a clove's worth of small plants to her rose bed (Photo 2). If garlic sprays deter aphids and slugs, then garlic plants offer the same promise with extra culinary garlic in autumn?

Photo 2: Garlic Planted in the Rose Bed

What to do with the remaining fifteen or so plants? Like many gardeners, I hate throwing away plants and especially food plants even when serendipity played a larger part in the development of these little plants than my careful nurturing. So, after digging them up and teasing apart the bulblets ...

Photo 3: Garlic Bulblets

... they were replanted in a narrow strip originally intended (many years ago) as a linear strawberry bed (Photo 4) ...

Photo 4: Garlic Orphanage

They will, of course, get the same care and attention as our planned garlic crop.

Onions & Garlic

 I am a bit late getting started with the vegetable growing this year. However, now the weather is getting better and the days are getting noticeably longer, it is finally time to get serious.

The first major job was planting out the onion sets and garlic. Good preparation of the soil is very important.

1. Hand weed the 3 m x 2.4 m plot

2. Shallow dig (15 cm/6 inches) the whole plot.

3. Add 200 litres of sieved homemade soil improver (aka compost) and 100 litres of recovered coir-based growing medium from last year's Quadgrows/Planters (Photo 1) before raking to a fine tilth (Photo 2) 

Photo 1: Weeded, Dug & Fed Onion Plot

Photo 2: Raked, Levelled and Ready for Planting

For the 2024 growing season I am planting two different onion sets: Red Baron and Snowball. Red Baron is an old favourite producing a good yield of medium-sized, mildly-flavoured bulbs that store well. Snowball is a new variety for me.

Photo 3: 2024 Onion Sets

I plant my onion sets quite close together: 10 cm/4 inches apart in rows with 15 cm/6 inches between rows. Just push into the surface until most of the bulb is covered.

Mary had started off some garlic cloves (Early Purple Wight) in the greenhouse in late January and these were now ready to plant out.

The final job was to erect the insect-proof mesh around the plot to keep out pests such as cats, pigeons and onion fly (Photo 3).

Photo 4: Onion Sets (foreground) and Garlic Planted

Later in the year, the spare ground will be filled with parsnips and beetroot.

Potatoes will be the next job!

Eastnor Obelisk

Just over a week ago, on a bright and sunny day, we enjoyed a 5 mile walk around Eastnor Deer Park with a group from Mary's church. Most of the walk was on level tarmac paths with the option of a 1.2 mile uphill detour to the Obelisk.

Photo 1: Eastnor Obelisk

The uphill slog is well worth the effort for the wide ranging views available at the top. Looking northwards along the spine of the Malverns (Photo 2), it was possible to see the snow-covered Clee Hill in the distance some 25 miles away.

Photo 2: Looking North towards the Malverns

Looking southwards towards Gloucester, the little pimple that is May Hill, some 11 miles away as the crow flies, was just visible (Photo 3).

Photo 3: Looking South towards Gloucestershire

Photo 3a: Looking South towards Gloucestershire with May Hill marked

Photo 4 was taken looking west towards the Welsh Hills.

Photo 4: Looking West towards Wales

The view looking east into Worcestershire was hidden by some trees.

Adjacent to the car park where all the walks commence, is The Woodshed selling soup, toasted panini**, snacks, cakes, hot & cold drinks, etc. Toilets are also available. In fine weather at the weekend, the car park soon fills up.

** Panini is the plural of Panino

The Invisible Hare

Yesterday (10th March 2024) was Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day. Mary received flowers, chocolate and tisanes and spoke to all the children. I suggested we went out for afternoon tea but first Mary wanted to wade through some muddy fields. So off to Quebb Corner Meadow, a nature reserve promising wild daffodils. Although sparse, there were wild daffodils around the field edge. We are hoping for a bigger and better display next weekend at the Kempley Daffodil Weekend.

Photo 1: Wild Daffodils, Quebbs Corner Meadow (10/3/24)

There were a few other flowering plants such as these primroses ...

Photo 2: Primroses, Quebb Corner Meadow (10/3/24)

... but the main feature was the boggy ground. Mary clearly had not had enough squelching through sodden grass and suggested a visit to another nearby nature reserve, Birches Farm. This was muddy and wet the last time we visited at this time of the year, and it certainly didn't disappoint this time. In the race to be Top Bog, Birches Farm won hands down.

The real reason Mary likes to visit Birches Farm is that it lists brown hare as a species seen there. Mary has a fascination with hares. We have seen them in Herefordshire though not recently. I'm of the opinion you don't go looking for hares; serendipity is the only way you will ever see them.

The invisible hare

Goes unseen

It's never there

Nor ever been

Naturally, we did not see any hares.

There were some nice trees though ...

Photo 3: Birches Farm (10/1/24)

Photo 4: Birches Farm (10/1/24)

Photo 5: Birches Farm (10/1/24)

... along with the sound of woodpeckers.

Finally, we made it to the Timothy & Birch tearooms for some excellent cake and hot drinks. Even bought a couple of things from the homewares shop before heading home.

Power Pause Update 4

 See here, here, here and here for previous instalments. Another couple of Power Pause opportunities presented themselves on February 29th and March 2nd 2024. Both were only for 30 minutes.

February 29th was not a cold day by February standards (mean daily temperature = 8 ℃) but March 2nd was noticeably colder (mean daily temperature = 3 (mean daily temperature = 8 ℃).

For the first date (February 29th), I forgot to turn down the ASHPs in preparation for the Power Pause. For the second date (March 2nd), I did remember. The ASHPs normally run at 18 ℃ and are turned down to 16 ℃ for the duration of the Power Pause.

As it turned out, the power saving and rebate were greater for the first date when the outside temperature was higher and the ASHPs didn't have to work as hard (and worked more efficiently) to maintain the set internal temperature. I have listed the power savings and rebates in Table 1, along with the same information from previous Power Pauses.

Table 1: Power Savings, Rebates and Rebate Rates for Good Energy Power Pauses

Date	Power Saving (kWh)	Rebate (£)	Rebate/kWh (£/kWh)
29/11/2023	0.407	1.63	4.00
1/12/23	0.000	0.00	-
5/12/23	0.000	0.00	-
12/12/23	1.374	3.67	2.67
14/12/23	1.687	4.50	2.67
19/12/23	0.266	0.71	2.67
17/01/24	1.846	4.92	2.67
02/02/24	1.340	2.98	2.22
29/02/24	0.530	0.54	1.02
02/03/24	0.310	0.27	0.87

Note 1: Power Pauses varied in length from 30 to 90 minutes

Note 2: Twelve Power Pauses were planned so there could be more before the end of March

Note 3: Rebate rates started high (£4/kWh) and have decreased during the trial

Note 4: According to MoneySavingExpert, Good Energy agreed to pay £2.55 per kWh saved. The average rebate rate in Table 1 is £2.48/kWh

Apparent Temperature

 Last Sunday (3rd March) was a gloriously sunny Spring day. Indeed, it was the sunniest day so far in 2024; see Figure 1 with the red sun rising on the 3rd March.

Figure 1: Daily Average Solar Radiation (1/1/24 to 7/3/24)

It wasn't especially warm (12 ℃ maximum) - indeed, there have been 18 other days in 2024 that have been warmer - but very acceptable considering the temperature was still 0 ℃ at 8.30 in the morning when I was testing the waters of the River Wye.

Figure 2: Average Temperature Readings (3/3/24) Recorded Every 15 Minutes

Fortunately, it was a calm day (Figure 3) ...

Figure 3: Average & Maximum Wind Speeds (3/3/24) Recorded Every 15 Minutes

... with mean wind speeds varying between 0 - 3 kilometres per hour (Light Air, Beaufort Scale 1).

If you want to know how warm it feels when you are outside then you need to know the apparent temperature. There are various forms of heat index that take a range of climatic measurements into account when calculating the apparent temperature. The simplest form of heat index combines humidity and temperature values (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Heat Index Values (3/3/24) Recorded Every 15 Minutes

For this particular day (3rd March 2024), the heat index profile (Figure 4) mimics the average temperature profile (Figure 2) though there are some small differences if you look carefully (Figure 5). During the afternoon (noon to 4 pm), the apparent (i.e. felt) temperature was typically 1 ℃ lower than the actual temperature.

Figure 5: Temperatures and Heat Indices (3/3/24) Recorded Every 15 Minutes

The reason for this was the drop in humidity during this afternoon period (Figure 6) resulting in a cooling effect on the body and a lower apparent temperature. [Note: high humidity restricts the body's ability to perspire which is its main cooling mechanism - this is why hot and humid feels warmer than hot and dry]

Figure 6: Temperature & Humidity (3/3/24) Recorded Every 15 minutes

Now I'm sure you're thinking: aren't we missing a couple of important climatic factors that will influence how warm we feel? Well, yes, we are. For starters, there is the well-known wind chill factor. As wind speed increases, the rate of evaporation of sweat from the skin also increases and the body cools faster. Whereas the Heat Index considers only temperature and humidity, the THW index also includes the effect of wind speed. For the 3rd March 2024, wind speed was too low to have an appreciable effect on the apparent temperature (Figure 7) so the wind chill (green) and measured temperature (red) values are identical. The drop in humidity during the afternoon (Figure 6) is the reason why the apparent temperature (THW Index, blue) is about 1 ℃ lower than the measured temperature (red).

Figure 7: Temperature, Wind Chill and THW Index (3/3/24) Recorded Every 15 Minutes

In the following graph (Figure 8), the measured temperatures (green), Heat Indices (red) and THW Indices (blue) for the 9th January 2024 are plotted. Over the 24 hour period, the air temperature varied from 0 ℃ to 4 ℃. The Heat Index followed the measured temperatures most of the time except when the humidity dropped between 12 am and 2 am and again between 2 pm and 6 pm. During these periods of lower humidity, the Heat Index was 1 ℃ lower than the measured air temperature.

The 9th January was, however, a windy day with average wind speeds varying from 5 km/h to 11 km/h (light breeze, force 2 on the Beaufort Scale); hence the need to include a wind chill factor to calculate the apparent temperature. As shown in Figure 8, apparent temperatures measured by the THW Index were lower by 2 to 4 ℃ compared to the measured temperature.

Figure 8: Measured and Apparent Temperatures (HI and THW) on 9/1/24

Which leads on nicely to the final climatic factor that influences how warm you feel (the apparent temperature). This is, of course, the sun which plays an increasingly prominent role as we leave winter behind and move into Spring and Summer. So far, we have defined apparent temperature (how warm it feels) in terms of Heat Index (based on temperature and humidity) and THW (based on temperature, humidity and wind chill). Unsurprisingly, if we want to include the warming effect of feeling the sun on your face/back, we need a new index: THSW. Figure 9 plots these indices along with the measured temperature for our chosen day: 3rd March 2024. On this particular day, wind chill was negligible so that Heat Index and THW were essentially equivalent.

Figure 9: Measured Temperature, THW and THSW Index for 3/3/24

The large effect of sunshine on the apparent temperature is clearly seen in Figure 9, adding as much as 7 ℃ to the measured temperature on this particular day. Also note that when the sun disappears behind a cloud (13:35 to 13:45 hours), it can suddenly feel cold again.

In summary, temperature and humidity are used to calculate an apparent temperature (Heat Index) which quantifies how warm you feel. The Heat Index can be further modified to take account of wind chill on its own (THW Index) or in combination with the sun's strength (THSW Index). The match up between the indices is not perfect; e.g. in Figure 9, there is a small discrepancy between THW and THSW before sunrise and after sunset when they should, strictly speaking be equivalent.

Are Winters Getting Less Frosty in Herefordshire

Photo 1: Frosty Morn in Hereford (2nd December 2023)

This graphic (Figure 1) appeared on the BBC website today (1st March 2024) in an article discussing how wet and warm it has been in the UK this Winter. Meteorological winter in the northern hemisphere is defined as the months of December, January and February (DJF). There lots of ups and downs in Figure 1 but also a general downward trend in the number of frosty winter days. Over the 60 year period covered by Figure 1, the number of winter frosts has decreased, on average, from about 57 to 43 days.

Figure 1: Time Series of UK Ground Frost Days in Winter (DJF) 

You might think fewer frosts would be a good thing and there are certainly some very obvious benefits such as lower heating bills and less road gritting. However, there are also some downsides, especially in the way it affects nature. The BBC article mentions one of the disadvantages: apple trees that need a period of dormancy, provided by subzero temperatures, to encourage fruit bud formation and a healthy crop. Apples are very important to Herefordshire which, alledgedly, produces over half the cider drunk in the UK. For gardeners, frosts are also good for killing off overwintering pests, making the soil more friable, and as a good excuse to procrastinate (though most gardeners don't need an excuse).

Considering the importance of the apple industry to Herefordshire, I thought it worth looking at whether the UK trend in fewer frosts was also evident in our County (tl:dr not yet). There is also a personal interest in that we have eight apple trees in our garden; they are small and not all perfectly formed but, since it is more than five, does constitute an orchard.

Figure 2 reports the number of frost days recorded by my Davis Weather Station during the winter months, with the green line representing the Winter (DJF) data.

Figure 2: Number of Frost Days in Hereford during the Winter Months

The sawtooth pattern observed locally (Figure 2) for the winter season (DJF) mimics the trend observed nationally (Figure 1). December and February, but not January, have a similar sawtooth pattern to that seen for the winter season. [Note: it is the exceptionally high number of frosts in January 2022 that hides a potential sawtooth effect for the January time series]

Interestingly, January 2022 was not a cold month in Hereford despite the high number of frosts. It was, however, the third sunniest January on record (since 1880) for the UK and above average in Herefordshire (Figure 3).

Figure 3: January 2022 Sunshine Hours

Perhaps even more interesting is the fact that the data from my Weather Station (Figure 4 and Figure 5) did not show an unusually sunny January in 2022 (relative to the 2020 -2024 period). The yellow bars show the January 2022 data. Figures 4 & 5 indicate that January 2022 in Hereford City was (a) warm, (b) had lots of relatively mild frosts (minimum temperature), (c) very low rainfall with plenty of dry days, (d) average sunshine, and (e) was relatively calm (maximum wind speed).  

Figure 4: January Temperature & Frost Data for Hereford City (2020 - 2024)

Figure 5: January Rain/Wind/Sunshine Data for Hereford City (2020 - 2024)

Apart from only average sunshine hours and general warmth, all the other factors are expected to be favourable to frosts (e.g. frosts less likely in windy conditions).

As a reality check, I looked up the January sunshine hours reported for the Met Office's Ross-on-Wye weather station, about 15 miles south of Hereford. In January 2022, Ross-on-Wye was located in that slightly sunnier part of Herefordshire (Figure 3). As can be seen from Figure 6, the sunshine profiles for Hereford (Figure 5) and Ross-on-Wye are different but not widely different. And January 2022 was sunnier in Ross-on-Wye than in Hereford (as indicated in Figure 3). [Note: I estimate Hereford sunshine hours using a correlation between my solar radiation readings and the Ross-on-Wye sunshine hours]

Figure 6: January Sunshine Hours for Ross-on-Wye

As a further check, I compared the number of January frost days in both locations (Figure 7). Did Ross-on-Wye have a couple of extra frost days in January 2022 because it had more sunshine than Hereford?

Figure 7: Number of January Frost Days in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye

If you can remember that far back, the original question was whether Hereford, and indeed Herefordshire, was witnessing a decrease in winter frosts. My weather data for Hereford is inconclusive because the time series is far too short. So let's look at the historical data for the Met Office's Ross-on-Wye weather station. Figure 8 shows the equivalent plot to the one that appeared on the BBC website (Figure 1). The similarities are evident despite one being based on a single location and the other on multiple locations over a vastly larger area.

Figure 8: Ross-on-Wye Winter (DJF) Frost Days from 1961/2 to 2022/3

However, as we have more data for the Ross-on-Wye station, we should use it. Figure 9 plots the number of winter frost days recorded by the Ross-on-Wye weather station over the past 94 winters. Winter, as always, is defined as the months of December, January and February (DJF).

Figure 9: Ross-on-Wye Winter (DJF) Frost Days from 1930/1 to 2023/4

While the statistics indicates a small negative trend in the number of winter frost days with time, the correlation (as denoted by the correlation coefficient, R²) is not significant; i.e. there is no evidence to suggest, based on available data, that winter frost days are decreasing in Herefordshire. For now, the apple crop is probably OK.