Was extremely dry and in the main very cold. We had the mini heatwave in late April over Easter, but apart from that temperatures were well below average.
Cold and dry weather is not a helpful start to the growing season for any plant. Many tree species were notably late to leaf, and grass of course was slow to get into its growth stride. This was particularly frustrating for anybody wanting to repair patches of damage left over from last years extended heatwave and drought.
On the plus side the extreme germination of weeds noted last Autumn did not repeat, and most lawns responded well to Spring treatments, coming nicely into condition albeit a little more slowly than normal.
It is easy to forget how very dry conditions were all Spring and following the extraordinarily dry 3 proceeding seasons this was a concern for all involved in horticulture.
Early Summer 2019
Rain at last. Sustained and substantial amounts of life enabling water for our gardens and the countryside. This is the first climatically good news for lawns and grass that we have had in a long time.
However, there is an unwelcome visitor to spoil the party, please see our `Red Thread` disease warning.