Freezing weather in UK

WE are having unusualy cold spring here this year.
It is really, really cold, to the point that I actully have ch switched on at home in the mornings.

What troubles me is that since I have moved house I realy want to set up my new garden here for summer - I was really looking forward to the planning and planting, but it has been raining and cold and everything has been delayed.
I am not sure if the new plants will have a chance to get established in time for the summer since things are showing such a slow progres due to the cold and lack of sunshine.

Is it also so cold during this spring in all other parts of the northern hemisphere, I wonder?

Spring is also quite late in most of central Europe.
But how about Canada? USA?
Are you late with your gardening as well?

Senna

Here, we had an early spring but I'm only one part of the US - others may have different experiences. It's been warm enough we could have planted but the last frost date is usually 5/15 so we haven't yet and it's really cold today. Glad we haven't done it yet.

That depends on what day you are talking about. In California, last week it was in the 70's and gorgeous. This week, freezing cold and snow in the mountains. I hurt like the dickens so it isn't over yet.

In Minnesota we had an unusually warm March and April, no snow and temps in the 70's sometimes.
Now it is May and cold--suppose to warm up for the weekend though. Spring flowers had a head start this year, very nice.

It is good to hear that at least in some parts of the world you have had some warm spells already, otherwise I would seriously worry that we have entered the new Ice Age (never mind the earth warming etc).

The winter was also unusually long and cold herebut that I did not mind that so much, since I adore snow and usually miss it in England.
But now my plants need warmth - so does my body as my Fibro is more likely to protest in low temperatures.

Mind you, just after I wrote this thread I went for an early evening walk and the sun appeared making everything so glorious and colourful, that I just had to take some pictures (sorry I am still not sure how to include pictures here). But it is amazing what little sun can do - even if it is still quite chilly breeze out there.

Senna

We had 29 deg for a couple mornings but it warmed up to 65 by mid day. I can't ever put out my pepper and tomato plants before June. We even had a frost on June 6th a couple years ago. It killed every one of my plants. Only the root veggies survived it.

It sounds as if you have a very short season in which to grow anything, Brent. Is it because you are very high up?

Senna

I'm in Vancouver Canada. Our seasons have been messed up for several years now.

We never used to get snow here, then the last few years it's been snowing quite a bit....then this winter we had temps so warm we had to truck in snow for the olympics.

The weather is messed up everywhere...which expains all the flooding and many other natural disasters as of late.

Yes, I was watching the Olympics - what a shame about the lack of snow. It would be much easier and prettier with a proper snow since made up snow has a different feel to it.
MY sister travels from Australia to Whistler becasue she loves it for good skiing, but this year it just did not look the same -she did not go.
Mind you alpine skiing resorts in Europe had plenty of snow this year for a change after few bad winters, so they were happy.

I believe that in Vancouver your climat is very much like we have in UK: mild, damp, unpredicatble, but not too bad most of the time? Or, was it in Seattle? Or both?
Forgive me if I've mixed things up. I hope that I got at least one of them right.

SEnna

Brent wrote:We had 29 deg for a couple mornings but it warmed up to 65 by mid day. I can't ever put out my pepper and tomato plants before June. We even had a frost on June 6th a couple years ago. It killed every one of my plants. Only the root veggies survived it.

We're just about 1000' but right next to part of the mountains that branch out west. So when cold air comes from the north it parks right on top of us. So that can make gardening a wee bit challenging.

I know it's been nearly 2 weeks but I think it's just a cold spell. It was actually warmer than usual in the UK at then end of April but as soon as May came and we'd put the plants out from the greenhouse it turned cold again! It often happens. Either that or we have a gale that blows the blossom off the apple or cherry trees. Happily the forecast is for the temperature to get up to the high teens again for the weekend which is about what it should be for here in Wales.

I'll be glad when it does warm up as I'm running out of logs for the wood burner. But at least we've only had to cut the grass a couple of times so far this year.

Senna,

Totally with you on the rubbish weather. It's May and we had snow here in Scotland on Monday.

It's getting pretty tedious! Spring, hurry up already!

been cold and stomy in the lower great lakes.

46 degrees, a lot of baro pressure spikes. i bet our friendly volcano spewed enough to influence the weather.

Hi, WitsEnd - yes, it has been bad in Scotland. I am in the east Midlands but my Son works in Scotland (Aberdeen and north) and inhis his job weather plays a vitalk part (he is a pilot) and w hat with the volcano and ash it just makes me worry even more then usual - he takes it all in his strides but I have a "worry gene".
Mind you he loved it there last winter with all the snow - he managed quite a lot of skiing which was great this year.

MGB - do you really blame the volcano for the weather?Here it is mainly the cold Arctic winds which are not typical for this time of the year.

Thank you everybody for your feedback - it seems that spring is not in much of a hurry this year
Senna