Climate change

Last post 22-12-2009 10:32 AM by laurieuk. 12 replies.

• 24/08/2009 08:20 AM

  Mike Currill Location: Oxford Joined on: 06 Aug 2009 Posts: 1

  Reply | Contact  Yes my garden has been affected. My Pirius has benefitted from a cooler, wetter winter than we have had in recent years. It had far more flowers than ever before and has grown quite considerably. I agree that our climate is changing buit only in so far as it is part of the normal cycle of climactic variation, after all how did the Romans grow grapes as far north as York without global warming?

• 03/09/2009 12:58 PM

  In reply to

  spade monkey Location: earth Joined on: 27 Jul 2009 Posts: 151

  Reply | Contact Hi Mike   The variations we are getting certainly seem to make the idea of climate change pretty solid, but the main thing I've noticed is that it is the rapidity of weather change on a week to week basis (and sometimes it seems day to day) has given us a world of hurts this year with regard to our peppers and chillies. The up and down-ness of temps with some big differences in day and night temps in May/June also played havoc with some of our veg.   Outside of the arguments about causes, what will be interesting is to see if this is part of natural variation and the fluctuations are part of establishing a new stable pattern, or whether the the whole thing is actually out of kilter and the rollercoaster ride is about to begin.

• 05/09/2009 12:24 PM	In reply to
  Caroline Location: New Malden Joined on: 08 May 2009 Posts: 3	Reply | Contact My biggest problem now seems to be high winds.  I don't know if it is connected to climate change or whether there are other contributory factors but it is making gardening here very difficult.  I am based in New Malden in Surrey but my mother living in Newcastle-on-Tyne also thinks it is windier than it used to be.  Anyone else finding it a growing problem?

• 05/09/2009 01:10 PM	In reply to
  spade monkey Location: earth Joined on: 27 Jul 2009 Posts: 151	Reply | Contact It's funny you should say that. We've been thinking it has been very on and off blustery; in fact, we had one of our cheap plastic greenhouses blown in half. The entrire framework snapped. We'd got three of them anchored together - very vexing.   Oh for a polytunnel.

• 05/09/2009 06:47 PM

  In reply to

  David Location: Sevenoaks Joined on: 11 May 2009 Posts: 98

  Reply | Contact Several of my neighbours and I have noted that in these apparently rapidly changing climatic times, the effect on our lawns appears quite dramatic. It is not so much a question of water as some of them use these dreadful sprinkler things (I most certainly do not) but we are all finding that those areas of our grass exposed to the searing mid afternoon's powerful rays, when the sky is crystal clear, are being scorched dry.  We consider this is a new phenomenon and may be a result of this global warming/ozone depletion. Do any of our contributors have any opinions or arewe all the victims of over active imaginations? Member 29971

• 11/09/2009 07:48 PM	In reply to
  Ventnor Location: IOW Joined on: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 90	Reply | Contact Global Warming.  We've been here 12 year now and no difference. no such thing It ought not to be allowed!

• 11/09/2009 09:50 PM	In reply to
  geoff51 Location: Totton, Hampshire Joined on: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 187	Reply | Contact Thank God! I thought I was the only person not to beleive government propaganda about climate change. Natural variations in weather are not taxable! Geoff51 Pond life!?!

• 19/09/2009 11:52 AM

  In reply to

  Obelix Location: Belgium Joined on: 24 Nov 2004 Posts: 440

  Reply | Contact I live in central Belgium and expect winter periods down to -15C as a norm and summer high's of 33C at most.  Last winter started early with a -6C forst in early October and a -10C in late October.  Very bad for lots of plants.   On January 6th, our neighbour recorded -32C and we stayed around that level for a week or so before getting to the giddy heights of -20 for two more weeks.   The cold spell lasted a long time and our ground was rock hard till late March in the sunnier parts and mid April in the shadier back garden.  I lost a host of shrubs, clematis and perennials and most of the surviving clematis didn't reshoot from their roots till June or July.   On the other hand, in the potager, we had the best ever crop of blackcurrants and the purple sprouting survived but not the leeks or garlic or Swiss chard. In mid August temperatures got to a sticky 38C.  It's also been very dry.  Normally our rainfall is similar to Lancs or the Lakes but we've had very little rain all summer and whilst I've been cutting the grass at a high level to help it along, weeds have proliferated and the grass has suffered.    Weeding i a nightmare in baked ground and I've had to water the veg plot to keep the pumpkins and sweetcorn from wilting and the beans have been a disaster despite a good deep trench full of compost.  Bumper crop of pumpkins and sweetcorn though. It's definitely been an unusual 12 months here.     Obelix - Belgium

• 19/09/2009 12:33 PM	In reply to
  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 4,072	Reply | Contact That sounds very challenging, Obelix. I wonder what this winter will bring? It seems that it's getting harder to forecast what the coming season will bring - I trusted the Met Office's 'Barbecue summer' predictions and planted some of the chillies outside, after which it rained for the next six weeks. Good to see you back,by the way, it's been a while.

• 26/10/2009 06:53 PM

  In reply to

  jaysgarden Location: Kent Joined on: 02 Oct 2009 Posts: 19

  Reply | Contact I am fed up with the government and scientist saying we are to blame, so called climate change! It’s always the car fault and heating houses! What about the giant corporate companies that chop down the rain forests! Usually backed by governments and banks. I believe the problem is by chopping down these forest eco systems, are causing weather shifts over the planet. Remember the Ozone layer disappearing but been fixed for ages now, the Earth can recover if we put the forest back, after all they are the lungs of the world.  I do believe in going green but not being taxed for it, another moneymaking scheme by the government and oil companies. I blame them.

• 26/10/2009 08:45 PM	In reply to
  miranda Location: Oxfordshire Joined on: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 4,072	Reply | Contact The ozone layer is fixed? Guess you'd better tell NASA they're wrong: http://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/

• 26/10/2009 09:38 PM

  In reply to

  jaysgarden Location: Kent Joined on: 02 Oct 2009 Posts: 19

  Reply | Contact I swear it was on the news where it has closed, I guess it must have opened again. So much for media! If it exists at all! Speaking of NASA a government funded organisation. Who clamed to of landed on the moon! Scientist gets grants from the government and if they don’t like what they hear guess what happens to the grant! So much for scientists! If they do speak out they are called crackpots. I would hate to have NASA carbon footprint!

• 22/12/2009 10:32 AM	In reply to
  laurieuk Location: West Kent uk Joined on: 04 Dec 2009 Posts: 20	Reply | Contact I feel chilly it must be the global warming?   [img=http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/8333/1002425.jpg] [img=http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/6830/1002421.jpg] www.lauriemansersgardenhints.blogspot.com