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Red Sky at Night...

31/10/2022

Matthew 16 begins with a confrontation between Jesus and some of Israel's religious leaders – a group of Pharisees and Sadducees who demand that Jesus provides another sign from heaven [to indicate he is the Messiah].

In the Bible (Matthew 16:2-3) Jesus said, “When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering.”

Jesus points out they can read basic signs in the skies to predict weather but refuse to recognise obvious signs such as the many miracles He has already accomplished. He declares He will not give them any sign but that of Jonah (Jonah 1:17), who was swallowed by the whale and restored on the third day (Matthew 16:1–4).

Now you know!

So, the colour of the sky has harboured a great number of folklore and sayings, and these are often correct, and scientifically proven. For example:

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning." The early settlers to the USA used these indicators to predict their local weather conditions.
“Red Sky at Night, Shepherd’s Delight. Red Sky in the Morning, Shepherd’s Warning” and this is because our prevailing weather comes from the west. Stable, high pressure systems trap dust in the air which diffuses the blue light which creates a sunset that can be vivid and red.
Whether clear or cloudy, a rosy sky at sunset presages fine weather, and “When the sun sets bright and clear, an easterly wind you need not fear"

a red sky in the morning predicts bad weather, or gusty wind and perhaps rain
a grey sky in the morning, means fine weather
a high dawn - wind
a low dawn - fair weather
a bright yellow sky at sunset presages wind
a pale and yellow sky – wet weather

Similarly, ‘Rain Before Seven, Fine by Eleven’ is often correct because when there is rain, there are also strong winds and this usually means that early morning rain, will be blown away by midday.

Plants and wildlife can be observed to react to weather conditions too, for example:

“Closed in the Morning, It’ll Be Pouring”: Some flowers, such as dandelions and tulips, close their petals in the evening and if they do not open again by morning, rain could be on its way - the phenomena of flora closing their petals at night is called nyctinasty
Nyctinasty is the circadian rhythmic nastic movement of some plants in response to the onset of darkness, or a plant "sleeping". Nyctinastic movements are associated with diurnal light and temperature changes and controlled by the circadian clock.
Whilst not fully understood by scientists, there is one theory that some plants close their petals to protect pollen from becoming wet and heavy with dew. So, it follows that if there is moisture in the air during the morning, and a dandelion or tulip’s petals are closed, carrying an umbrella might be prudent!

There are plenty of sayings or proverbs pertaining to plants as well, such as

Onions:

Onion-skins very thin
Mild winter coming in;
Onion-skins thick and tough,
Coming winter cold and rough.

Grass:

When dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass: Dew forms when grass gets colder than the dew-point temperature (the temp at which dew forms). At night, grass cools when heat from the ground radiates upward. In a clear, dry atmosphere, this heat escapes the atmosphere and rises into outer space. In a moist and humid atmosphere, water vapour absorbs some of that heat and can redirect it back down to the ground, warming up the grass, and thus keeping it dew free. Dew on the grass is therefore a sign of a high-pressure system, and good weather.

April showers bring May flowers:

Cool, wet weather in spring helps grass prepare for strong growth later in May.

Trees:

The ash before the oak, choke, choke, choke.
The oak before the ash, splash, splash, splash:

This refers to which tree breaks bud first in the spring; If ash trees break bud before oak trees, this foretells a wet summer.

and

Pinecones open up when good weather is coming:

Scientifically based – as during dry weather, pinecones dry out, which causes their scales to stand out and appear more "open", whereas in wet weather, the scales curl up and the cones return to a more closed shape.

So - now you know [even more!].

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November - last chance saloon!

29/10/2022

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Jobs for November:

Flowers:

Start sowing sweet peas for next year as these can be overwintered, under cover or in the greenhouse. Sweet peas are a favourite of mine because it is good to see something growing over the winter months and the end result is [usually] abundant, colourful and fabulously aromatic.
I have yet to do this, but November is the perfect time for taking root cuttings from perennials like anchusa, phlox, verbascum, oriental poppy and acanthus.

I am also over this task but it’s the last opportunity to plant the last of the autumn bulbs -but I’m not the greatest fan of tulips and daffodils anyway. However, if you do like these, then don't forget to put some in pots too. Also, if you are super organised, plant Paperwhite narcissi for Christmas and plant indoor hyacinths such as White Pearl.
Otherwise, November is the last opportunity to harvest tender perennial flowers like chrysanthemums and dahlias, as well as half-hardy annuals like cleomes.

Vegetable Patch:

Garlic such as Extra Early Wight, Picardy Wight and Germidour for autumn plantings) . Great companion plants for garlic include strawberries, nasturtiums, chamomile and dill – but I think these will need to be sown in the spring months unless you already have them in the veg patch.
Onion sets – Senshyu, Radar, Electric, Hybound, Red Baron, Stuttgarter, Sturon and Red Fen – to name but a few!
Broad beans Aquadulce Claudia is a reliable long pod that produces impressive yields from tall plants. Also, Luz de Otono, the early maturing De Monica and the Sutton are a good bet.
Rhubarb crowns are best planted in the spring and autumn months, but you can also plant a dormant crown now.

November is also best for planting one-year-old dormant asparagus crowns and, preferably, in light, well-drained soils. Asparagus is notoriously a slow-burner, and it will take at least two years for tender spears to appear. Varieties to consider are Gijnlim, Pacific Purple, Jersey Knight, Mondeo and Guelph Millennium is highly cold-tolerant, but the taste of asparagus is always worth the wait!

Planting in pots / containers:

Durham Early, a spring cabbage variety, is a good for overwintering and can be sown now, as can salad leaves such as mizuna and spinach
Also, to enable harvesting in the early spring, sow peas such as Kelvedon Wonder and Meteor, and winter varieties of spring onions like Performer – which do well in pots too.

On the windowsill or in the greenhouse:

Chilli peppers can be sown any time of year, but it is fabulous to grow them for their optimistic and bright colour. These varieties sound dangerous but can be over-wintered in the greenhouse - Naga Viper and Trinidad Scorpion or sow smaller hot varieties such as sweet Medusa or dwarf scarlet Apache. Good partners for chilli include parsley, nasturtiums, basil, beans and peas.
Dark Opal basil is another one for the warmer windowsill and, in summer, is transplanted outside into raised garden beds or a large container with spinach or tomatoes.

Some November plants but I am not currently bothered with include horseradish, mushrooms and oyster plant. The latter is also known as sea mertensia or sea bluebells and generally grows in coastal areas but also does well in rockeries – and is increasing in popularity as a gourmet accompaniment, either raw or cooked, to fish dishes. I might try it if I have room in the greenhouse!

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Planning!

28/10/2022

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A small delivery of seeds! I have not used this supplier before but Seed to Suit are environmentally aware, uses recyclable packaging, and seed quantities are better suited to individuals and small holdings or allotment owners. They are also reasonably priced.

www.seedstosuit.co.uk

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Weirdly Odd

28/10/2022

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28th October 2022: Today’s temperature is 64º Fahrenheit / 18º Celsius - which [apparently] is warmer than 97% of temperatures recorded on this date since records have been taken. This might explain why I am even more confused than usual when surveying ‘the estate’. I think the plants are similarly out-of-kilter because they seem to be getting a greenery spurt-on, flowering and even buds are appearing. It as though it is Spring – but in October! For my Australian friends – this is VERY ODD for the northern hemisphere!!

Normally (whatever that might be) the weather in the UK during November (less than a week away) ranges from “poor to unpleasant” depending on the destination. Average temperatures in London are a daytime maximum of 12°C (53°F), and a minimum night-time temperature of around 6°C (42°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. Edinburgh is colder with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C (49°F) and minimum night-time temperatures around 4°C (39°F) and again moderate rainfall. So – generally unpleasant.

However, my cosmos (annuals), nasturtiums, feverfew, geraniums, hollyhocks, sweet peas (perennials) are all flourishing. Don’t get me wrong – I like that it is still attractive, and the bees are buzzing, and the birds are happily foraging – BUT it is of some concern when it is probably an indicator of global warming.

Should these (below) all be flowering so profusely at the end of October??

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Oops! Whoosh!

18/10/2022

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Oh – what happened there?*!

I can’t believe it is over a month since I updated properly. I have been meaning to write decent chatty emails or Blogs for a while but it’s either been a case of ‘too much computers’ and I can’t stand it any longer, or I have not been in the mood to be chatty and upbeat! Actually, and I think I mentioned this before, I have been continually exhausted for months and it seems that it is not me just being lazy or pathetic but more to do with the fact that I am B12 deficient. SIGH! I am on medication (pills) at the moment but, in all honesty, I don’t think they are having much effect (I’ve been taking them for at least two months now) so I am going to speak to my Doctor or Diabetic Nurse about having the injection.

I have heard that the injection can be a real game-changer. It has been so weird, and I have been feeling like a wrinkled-up and deflated birthday balloon. Having said that, I have had a good day or two – probably helped by the fact that it has been bright and sunny!

Paul has been setting up / working at the Cheltenham Literature Festival (which is quite a big thing over here) as well as doing the odd shift at The Everyman Theatre too. After this Cheltenham work he will be employed until into January on various winter and Christmas “festivals” including running the Cotswold farm Park Enchanted Light Trail again. However, the past few days have been somewhat miserable as he has been unwell – and yesterday recorded a very definitely positive Covid test result. SIGH!

We were meant to be having a few days away at Marco Pierre White’s hotel near Bath – a dinner, bed and breakfast deal that I got months ago. Fortunately, the hotel was incredibly kind and allowed me to postpone the break-away. They certainly weren’t obliged to as the terms and conditions were quite clear about 48 hours’ notice and no amendments and all that jazz but having sweet-talked the receptionists, they have re-allocated us over the weekend of Halloween. PHEW!

I have been (am) feeling a bit fed-up recently. So, I don’t know if this was the right thing to do or not, but whilst I still juggle numerous part-time jobs (seven roles currently), I handed my notice in at one of my schools – where I am a part-time Administrator in the school office as well as being their Clerk to the Governors. Anyway, with all the combined job roles in all employment having a certain amount of micro-management and lots of bureaucracy I weighed up the odds and this particular employment got the chop. It is a shame as the team is great and the children enjoy a fabulously run school environment, but that’s the way it goes. My last official day in school is tomorrow (19th).

My various other jobs seem to be under control – the past month has been a bit of a nightmare, but I am feeling more relaxed about everything now that I made the decision to make some changes. However, there is the possibility of a second interview with an organisation called the Cheltenham Trust (p/t flexible/work from home role) and, funnily enough, amongst other things, they run the Cheltenham Festivals...!! see: Homepage | Cheltenham Festivals

So... what else? Nothing very exciting I'm afraid. I have spent some time sorting things out at home, including planting up some Penstemons which I bought as plug plants – because they were a bargain on-line offer – and the window box. I’ve also wielded the secateurs with a vengeance and enthusiastically prune anything that I come across [everything then!] and have moved some shrubs and plants. I am avoiding any real work – like weeding and digging and heavier stuff – just haven’t got the energy. However, I do think being out in the garden and the greenhouses is of so much benefit. Especially when the sun is shining!

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Autumn Planting

16/10/2022

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Today I planted two-and-a-half rows of 'Senshyu' Onions. First cultivated in Japan, these onions a are hardy and resilient overwintering variety that will grow outside uncovered over the winter months. The reward is large, crisp, semi-flat onions with yellow/brown skin. bulbs at the end of next spring. They need less light that other onions, so will grow through the short days of winter and early spring.

I also planted a row of ‘Germidour’ Garlic – a soft-neck variety, violet streaked skin with white cloves and a mild flavour. It is best to plant garlic in September and October as they respond well to colder temperatures; most varieties need one to two months at 0–10°C (32–50°F) for good bulb development.

Garlic needs a long growing season to do well, and therefore planting in autumn is perfect timing so that plants develop roots and shoots before the heavy frosts. When sown in October they should be ready to lift and dry by June or July next year.

Fortunately, garlic needs little care – only needing regular watering in spring and early summer, and when the foliage turns yellow this is a sign that the bulbs are reaching maturity. Then the bulbs can be lifted from the soil and left to dry out for a couple of days, in full sun. Easy as!

It has been such a beautiful weekend that I have spent a lot of time pottering about, tidying-up and prepping - optimistically - for the winter. Check out my progress (below) - I've even moved shrubs and perennials as instructed by the magazines and books and planted up pots and containers with winter flowers. Super organised!