View from the Rear Window - August 2022

The last month of meteorological summer and what a summer it has been. Record temperatures and one of the driest summers I can remember. Towards the end of the month, cooler overnight temperatures signal autumn is not far away. According to the Met Office, the summer of 2022 was the joint hottest (equal to 2018) and the sixth driest on record (since 1836) for England.

Quite a few plants suffered in the garden; mostly hidden from view in these photographs where the shades of green belie the stress experienced by the trees and plants...

Back garden on 5th August 2022

By the middle of the month, the garden has a little more colour...

Back garden on 15th August

...before the roses and fuchsias begin their display...

Back garden on 30th August

Jobs in the Kitchen Garden

1. Harvesting cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes, raspberries, blackberries, salad leaves and lettuce, celery, potatoes, French beans, Bell peppers, spinach, Swiss chard, aubergines (eggplants), calabrese, Jalopeno chillies, pears, apples, radishes
2. Lift onions (red & white) for storing
3. Watering kitchen garden and polytunnel
4. Making, sieving and using compost
5. Sow broad beans for autumn crop
6. Pruning apple, plum and pear trees

August 2022 Weather

Selected weather parameters for August 2022 are summarised below. On average, August was warmer than July despite lower maximum and minimum temperatures. A little more rain than August but nowhere near enough. 

August 2022
Weather Parameter	Value	Dates
Average Monthly Temperature	20 oC
Maximum Monthly Temperature	36 oC	13th, 14th
Minimum Monthly Temperature	7 oC	6th
Number of Air Frost Days	0
Number of Hot Days (> 25 oC)	19
Monthly Precipitation	18.6 mm
Greatest 24 h Precipitation	14.6 mm	16th - 17th
Number of Dry Days	24
Monthly Sunshine Hours (estimated)	191
Average Wind Speed	3 km/h
Highest Wind Speed	29 km/h	20th
Maximum Barometric Pressure (Sea Level)	1030.9 hPa	6th
Minimum Barometric Pressure (Sea Level)	1001.2 hPa	15th
Average Barometric Pressure (Sea Level)	1018.2 hPa

Daily maximum and minimum temperatures for August 2022 are displayed in the bar chart below [click for larger image]. August 2022 was the hottest month (average temperature = 20 ℃) in the last 3 years - followed by July 2021 and, last month, July 2022 (both 19 ℃). Despite a few uncomfortable nights, sleeping was generally easier than last month.

Daily rainfall and average solar radiation values (proxy for sunshine hours) for August 2022 are summarised in the next bar chart [click for larger image]. The first half of the month was extremely hot and sunny while the second half was merely warm with sunny periods. What rain there was came mainly in the middle of the month.

As usual, I compare selected weather parameters for August over the last three years. August 2022 was the warmest in this short series mainly due to the higher daily maxima.

For the 2020 - 2022 period, this August was also the driest and sunniest.

Some plants may have benefited from the hot dry weather but quite a few suffered - cucumbers, peppers, blueberries, and raspberries for example.

Dessicated Blueberry Bush

Finally, a few photographs from the August garden:

A decent crop of rowanberries if the blackbird doesn't eat them all

Our resident frog is still around

Courgettes and Mini-Marrows

Pitcher Perfect?

Bee in Salvia

Venus Fly Trap Flowers

Echinops in the Secret/Wild Garden

Footlong Aubergines

Cyclamen under the Acer

Calabrese for dinner

Comice Pear Harvest