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Drought? Breizh Meteo rainfall records for Pontivy observatory - 12 km from us jan 2024 129.4 mm feb 2024 116.4 mar 2025 97.2 april 2024 57.4 I think it's possibly a long drawn out period of cold wet but not freezing weather, and the hedge dropped it's leaves to protect itself, our birch trees were very late budding and coming into leaf also. The hedge is fine now. You will note that https://temperature.global/ shows an average trend 2015 to 2024 of - 0.254 C cooling.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_de_glace I always understood from neighbours that it's just three days in May? Can't remember it ever happening here, though. I've always gambled on dismantling the temporary 'conservatory' in March and never had a problem until this year 🙄

I think it's the extremes that do for most plants here. There are very few that will withstand soggy soil all winter and then the heat and drought of most summers.

Now be fair, Harnser! There were at least three days in early April when we got all excited and braved the pool. The water was 20C. So there you have it....the planet's totally doomed 😁

or maybe they are just drought stricken. I've lost a cherry and a mulberry over the last 12 months.

Replying to my own post here:- Observing some signs of the variance of plant growth in our own garden, the fact that the variegated privet hedge some 25 metres long along the road boundary of our property lost it's leaves totally this last winter and was still bare in mid March, the first time this has happened since we arrived in 2009, no sign of any infection etc, and a large flowering cherry putting out the worst show of blossom again since 2009, leads me to think that the global boiling brigade are talking up their agenda, rather than telling it like it is.

According to the global boiling brigade:- "most parts of Europe experienced exceptionally warm spring temperatures between early March and mid April" So there..!! https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/warm-spring-weather-benefitted-crops-most-europe-2024-04-22-0_en

Got sorted to go our nearest big town to pay some bills as off to France Sunday, got my bus pass ready then looked for my wallet, could we find it anywhere, no. looked in the car as its about fully loaded, not there looked all over the house. but I could remember putting it into some bag, looked through all the bags that might be used, then thought I might have to cancel the cards as we will be in France for 6 weeks and wanted to make sure they couldn't be used just in case the wallet was mislaid outside. Phoned Barclays to cancel, they don't want you to speak to humans, they asked for the debit card number, but I don't have it, in the end I put the phone down frustrated. Got on bus and went to Staines, visited Barclays there, it has just become a large room with loads of self service machines with one poor receptionist trying to sort out all the visitors. They are a joke, when this is sorted I'm changing banks. Got home and swmbo said look in the fridge, well on Wednesday we purchased a large pack of bacon to split and try to smuggle some into France on Sunday, you guessed it wallet was in the bag we put the bacon in. Where is that darkened room.

Having only arrived to our current home in December 2022, we don't have lots of years of experience with weather here. However, I will say that Winter of 2023/2024 was FAR wetter than the previous Winter. In fact I think the rain started n October 2023 and it was a rare day between then and March 2024 that it didn't rain. Everyone was talking about it. Really does a number on your mood. And like Menthe, we like to walk each day but not in the rain. So, we miss being outside. We have managed to get some plants in the ground, but then the freeze came, so we are keeping an eye on everything. Put some tomato, cucumber and pepper plants in the ground and so far, they are still alive. Miracle after that last storm that brought small bits of hail. Now we have the same risk for tomorrow.. Be a miracle if it survives. The grass got mowed and strimmed yesterday while a light rain was falling. At least it got done.

Glad to see it back. 😀

Well, we have the Saints de Glace which is a cold spell in late April to sometime in the first week of May so big drop in temperature and some frosts. But the Gods of Weather seem about to give us warm southerly breezes. Finally I sill be able to finish getting thengarden into some sort of shape; there are queues of plants waiting to go in and they are beginning to mutter. Plus I have grandson for a week so will have to go out more than usual.

It's the weirdest weather I have known in my umpteen years here. Planning to walk with friends this afternoon as it's been sunny and only a bit cold this morning but I made the mistake of looking at the météo. It says, orage and grêles this afternoon! So it will be lunch at home and perhaps I'll make some bread. I am no domestic goddess, moi, so this does not seem like an attractive alternative to a walk and perhaps taking some pictures on my new phone and see if they come up upside down like Noisette's.

Good tip, kingfisher, except that I'll probably mislay the stylus.......now you have reminded me that I am forgetful as well as clumsy, thanks!😜

Well, fingers crossed and long may we last. The return is down to the technical chaps who are part of the new set up. But it also shows the interest that management have in the Forum for which many thanks. Now, guys and gals, just keep posting, even overposting, squabble, offer help, even albf ( we can always ‘modify’ his posts!), plus your own take on France, property and the rest.

Try a quick search on ebay.fr or similar and grab a "stylus for phone". Just over a euro from China. I use one a lot as my chubby fingers were not designed for precision typing on a smartphone😉

Good to see it back

I tried Dave's suggestion of saving a photo upside down, then posting it, but it stayed upside down 🤨 I've found an (old) explanation of why it happens on Google, but no solution yet...

Looks PC on a PC - picture of France, not Australia

Have pity....it's a bit early in the morning for looking at upside-down photos 😁 Perhaps after a coffee.....😂

Couple of weeks ago it was 30 degrees then it turned on a dime. Just had a week of wind and now forecast for a week of rain. Happy for the rain ( might get to run the pool this year ) but the grass could certainly do with a cut.

Morning Noisette, I use a mac & just done a test & it was fine. Hopefully someone else will come along soon with a PC. Can you save a copy upside down on the Asus first?

Could some kind person explain why the photos I attempted to post all appear upside down? Uploaded from 'Images' on an Asus laptop running Win11....I've had problems with them uploading on their sides, elsewhere, but this is a new variant 😂 No option for whizzing them around in a drop-down menu, either....TIA

Is it me or is this the coldest, wettest spring for at least 15 years? How are your gardens doing? From what I can see of mine from the windows, the early flowers are certainly lasting longer due to the low temperatures, and the paper wasps are getting knocked back a bit, but that's it for the silver linings 😁

Fingers crossed that it works out OK, I've even missed Norman. 😀

dept71, you could be spot on. Still, we can at least let it go out with a bang and not fizzle out like a damp squib?