Wettest Summer In the UK For 100 Years!

Met Office figures have recorded that, since records began in 1910, the summer of 2012 was the second wettest across the UK and the wettest since 1912, 100 years!

The Met Office say that "figures for June, July and August show that 370.7 mm of rain fell across the UK, making it the second wettest summer on record since the 384.4 mm of rain seen in the summer of 1912.
These latest figures follow a record wet April, and an April to June period that was also the wettest recorded in the UK.
Summer 2012 was also one of the dullest summers on record with just 413 hours of sunshine. This makes it the dullest summer since 1987 when the UK saw only 402 hours of sunshine.Unsettled weather has never been far from the UK during the past three months.
Movements in the track of the jet stream, a narrow band of fast flowing westerly winds high in the atmosphere, have contributed to the weather we have seen. This summer has seen periods of heavy and prolonged rain, as well as short but exceptionally heavy thundery downpours and only brief warm sunny spells."

A year of extreme weather, we wait to see where the jet stream parks itself over the UK next summer.

Inexperienced and Experienced

Today saw Callum's first time on the small Iseki ride on mower. Having mastered the push Honda mowers over the last twelve months, he spent a few hours, under Graham's guidance and tuition, mowing the top orchard lawn.

 

Over on the bottom orchard, as Callum cuts the top orchard grass, Joss, experienced on rode on mowers, spent the time cutting down the long grass that had begun to flop over and look very messy. Inexperienced and experienced, both make a lovely job of mowing the grass.

Tidying The Yew Columns

The yew columns in the Provost's garden were pruned back in mid June, see blog entry 'Preparation For Encaenia 2012' , in which it states 'are usually cut at the end of August'. Since they were cut, just 11 weeks ago, the yews have continued to grow and now look very shaggy and in need of our attention again. By the end of the day Ali had trimmed them all again and, hopefully, will be the last time until next August.                                             

Truck Repair

What better day to repair one of the trucks than a very wet, damp day. The truck's wooden base has fallen to pieces and it has been unusable for some time, so Ady and Graham made some space in one of the machine sheds and started to take the truck apart. Removing the sides first they then removed the rotten base and replaced it with a new piece of wood. The wood will be treated with a preservative before the truck is put back in to use.

Goodbye Circles

In preparation for the autumn/winter lawn maintenance programme Joss has had to stop going round in circles and start walking in straight lines again on the quad lawn. The new straight lines will guide Joss when he verticuts and feeds the lawn over the next few weeks, see blog entry 'Verticutting' 8th October 2009.

Team Work

Today has been a day of team work. In the morning the gardeners worked their way around the college spraying the weeds that, due to recent weather, were attempting to take over the college paths, hard surfaced and gravelled areas. In the afternoon the wallflowers, about 350, were repotted, for the last time, before they are planted out in October.

Bird Boxes In Place

Whilst working to clear the canal path and trim the canal hedge, Ali and Simon had time to put up the four bird boxes that were not sold on the charity open day. Built by Kieron, the boxes are now up on the shady side of four trees and, hopefully, will be found next spring by our feathered friends.