The changing seasons are making Sweet Pea Growing quite difficult – the season is getting earlier and much shorter (on average). Just a couple of charts showing local weather conditions which illustrate the changes we are experiencing.
The average temperature (C) during the main part of the growing season (May-Jul) is on the rise. [All three of the following charts are based on daily data for Yeovilton, Somerset. Source: Visual Crossing]
There are more hot days now (eg >20C) than in earlier decades and fewer cooler days. The next chart shows the shift in the proportion of days reaching a max temperature falling in various ranges (42-year period to 2025 shown in BLUE, compared with the past decade shown in ORANGE).
It has been very dry this year (like 1999 and 1975/1976, which were also dry years). But general trend is for wetter summers, with more variation from year to year (?).
Fairplace 