Matters Meteorological

Sive · Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 9:42 am Post subject:

It's been a wonderful six months hasn't it ? But I quite like the crispness of a frosty winter's day too and sure at the rate we're going it won't be long before the first snowdrops come peeping through.

Sneachta · Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 11:45 am Post subject:

Just about escaped an air frost here in coastal Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, the car windows were iced up though this morning a little.

Last year we didn't get the first air frost until November 24th which would do just fine again this time round for the Oca's sake!
The Oca, which are an experiment this year, are coming along great, hoping to harvest around the first week in December weather permitting. For the moment though I'm covering with fleece any night that threatens a frost. Really looking forward to trying them out.

nibbler · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 2:46 pm Post subject:

I'd leave the Oca a bit longer if you can Sneachta. I find the last week of December or even early January is best. I like to expose them to a "killing frost" about a week or so before digging them up and then I ripen them in the greenhouse for a week. We're fond of a few for the Christmas dinner, so I dig up a handful and ripen for a few days but the rest I leave until end of the month.

Dirt Digger · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:05 pm Post subject:

Most certainly definitely undeniably without a doubt into winter now...
although today's temperature was above normal for time of year, you now it's winter in Ireland when you spot the geese, and today, the first large skeins of Brent geese were spotted above the Dublin skyline as they returned for another winter ...

My Potatoes · Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:40 pm Post subject:

Mid-teens in mid-November down my way. I urged a wasp back out the bedroom window this afternoon.
Last week I took courgette, squash, potato and radicchio from the garden.
It's been some year, and it continues to be some year.

Dirt Digger · Posted: Fri Nov 22, 2013 4:20 pm Post subject:

A stunning early winter south-western sunset somewhere beyond the Dublin hills; with large flocks of geese vacating the GAA pitches and heading back out to the North Bull Wall for the evening...shan't be too long now to the big Starling murmurations ...

Sneachta · Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 11:23 am Post subject:

Good guy · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:42 pm Post subject:

Don't know if it's the weather, or what, but I was in Dublin yesterday, at the Botanic Gardens. Waiting for the bus back into town, I noticed an Amelanchier in flower, across the road!

Geranimojess · Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 10:16 pm Post subject:

My Daffodils are showing up through the ground... Exclamation

Dirt Digger · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 12:32 pm Post subject:

December, 12th, 9 days from winter solstice, the air filled with Christmassy seasonal jingley belley tunes such as "In The Deep Mid-winter", and "Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow", and some years such sentiment would be right on the mark; but today it's 15 degrees Celsius...
yes good people, my outdoor thermometer hit 15 deg. today.

Good guy · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:21 pm Post subject:

Yes, 14.5 here in Letterkenny. And the soil is still warm (planted alliums and geraniums yesterday).

Good guy · Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 11:55 pm Post subject: Clematis

It's a blooming clematis, on the 12th December!

Sive · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 9:21 pm Post subject:

That's mad ! I have loads of borage blooming away...not sure there are any bees around to enjoy it though.....also some of my herbaceous geraniums have flowers.....

tagwex · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:07 pm Post subject:

I have a tray of late planted lettuce that i just never did anything with, it has been outside all the time, grew to maybe 5" and then stopped. We are still eating it and no frost has killed it yet.

Good guy · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2013 10:20 am Post subject:

Cleared the last of my lettuce the other day. It's still tasty, though a bit tough - ok shredded, though. Waiting patiently now for my purple sprouting broccoli to start producing.