UNSEASONAL GROWTH

 I've been meaning to waffle on about this subject for weeks, though I've occasionally mentioned it in various posts. Everyone has been talking about it ... the amazing height of plants this "summer". I've felt a bit Lilliputian, a dwarf compared to some of the plants I've walked beneath. It's been a bit like becoming a small child again as I've walked below plants much taller than me. O.K, so I'm not much over 5ft short but I've been dwarfed by some of the plant species I've mentioned on this blog.

<<< one I've not mentioned yet, Great Mullein, also known as Aaron's Rod. One of my plant books, quote "SIZE to 2m." Well this one and others I saw yesterday were well above that height.

The same source reckons Foxgloves & Ragwort  reach up to 1.5m. Creeping Thistles up to 1m.  Being an old fashioned soul, I still measure height in feet and inches, weight in pounds and ounces, because most of my cook books were written before decimalisation. But, even working out the difference, so many plants myself and others have talked about have grown to incredible heights this year. All these months of rain and strange, unseasonal weather conditions have produced giants of plants. many of which have made me feel ... even smaller.

There has been another strange phenomenon too that I've noticed over the last few weeks ...
the late growth of fresh new leaves on all sorts of tree species., no matter how small. I've noticed this on  Oak, Birch, Larch, Beech, Sitka Spruce, Scots Pine, Hazel ...
 

It really has been a strange year, hay being harvested at the same time as straw, "early potatoes" only just being ready to eat and everywhere allotment owners and gardeners bemoaning the lack of substantial crops. So many folk are talking about hedge high weeds.  Here, there are still sheep waiting to be sheared because hay making has been a priority during the few fine days we've had. Priorities have been put well out of seasonal normality. We are three quarters of the way through the year and everything seems to be so mixed up and unpredictable. Strange things have been happening in nature and even though our hosting of The Olympics seems to have  been a great success, it seems that Nature is in some strange kind of mess. I almost hesitate to mention this, but what will our Autumn and Winter be like? All I can add (for this Welsh part of the British Isles) is watch this space! There is only just over four months to go ...  what else can seem strange?