View from the Rear Window - May 2022

May is the last month of meteorological Spring. As the weather warms and the danger of frost recedes, the transition from Spring to Summer unfolds before us. The vibrant colour of Spring (daffodils, tulips, etc) has been replaced by the subtle greens of fresh new growth as the plants prepare for their Summer show. There are splashes of colour, of course, from wisteria early in the month and roses towards the end of May.

May 2nd

May 17th

May 31st

As far as the kitchen garden is concerned, May signals warmer days and nights, especially the latter, with a much lower probability of frost. Sowing seeds between January and April is done with the knowledge that artificial heat and frost protection may be required. In May, the soil may have warmed enough to sow directly (sweetcorn, beetroot, runner and French beans, etc) and/or plant out tender vegetables raised with heat (courgette, cucumber, squash, etc). There is always a risk of frost 'stopping' or, even, killing off your outside plants but, also, the promise of early harvests.

Jobs in the Garden

1. Quadgrow preparation and planting of tomatoes & cucumbers in polytunnel

2. Harvest asparagus (50 spears)

3. Plant up new bog garden

4. Plant our squashes & courgettes

5. Plant out celery and celeriac in Salad/Veg Planters

6. Aubergines, Jalopeno and Sweet Peppers planted up in polytunnel

7. Succession sowing French beans, sweetcorn, mangetout, beetroot, parsnip

8. Plant out bought-in broad beans

9. Sow chard and perpetual spinach directly into soil

10. Start picking strawberries

11. Second and final application of Nemaslug

12. Calabrese & cauliflower seedlings moved outside to harden off

13. Hedge cutting, compost-making, irrigation

May 2022 Weather

Weather parameters for May 2022 are summarised in the table below. Overall, a reasonably sunny month with moderate rainfall. The development of the garden benefitted from the absence of frost and night temperatures of 6 ℃ or above. A generally quiet month of average weather!

May 2022
Weather Parameter	Value	Dates
Average Monthly Temperature	14 oC
Maximum Monthly Temperature	24 oC	17th
Minimum Monthly Temperature	6 oC	12th, 28th, 30th
Number of Air Frost Days	0
Number of Hot Days (> 25 oC)	0
Monthly Precipitation	58.6 mm
Greatest 24 h Precipitation	22.4 mm	15th - 16th
Number of Dry Days	17
Monthly Sunshine Hours (estimated)	191
Average Wind Speed	3 km/h
Highest Wind Speed	37 km/h	20th
Maximum Barometric Pressure (Sea Level)	1029.6 hPa	8th
Minimum Barometric Pressure (Sea Level)	1000.8 hPa	23rd
Average Barometric Pressure (Sea Level)	1017.9 hPa

Daily minimum/maximum temperatures for May 2022 are shown in the bargraph below [click for larger image]. Day and night temperatures remained fairly constant throughout the month with no 'hot' or 'cold' periods.

Daily rainfall and solar radiation values for May 2022 are shown in the next plot [click for larger image]. It rained at regular intervals though in small amounts. The beginning of the month was cooler and cloudy but warmed through the month with a mix of sunshine and clouds.

Reviewing weather data from the last 3 years, the importance of the higher night time temperatures of May 2022 to the overall feeling of warmth in May 2022 is clearly seen. Generally, an average month with regards basic weather values.

The Met Office review of May 2022 was a warm month (5th warmest on record) due, in large part, to high overnight temperatures. Using the period 1991-2020 as a base, May 2022 in Herefordshire was warmer, cloudier and drier.

Some photos of the garden:

Bluebells in early May

White Ermine Moth (4th May)

Paradise Garden (3rd May)

Wisteria in full bloom in early May 2022

Scarlet Tiger Moth

Bog Garden (28/5/22)

Cape marguerite (Osteospermum)