No.104, Saturday, 21st. March 2026

A hazy start to the morning with diffuse sunlight but, as time goes on, the sun is gradually shifting from an indistinct source of light to a clear ball, rather as if a lampshade has been removed revealing the light source beneath. The cul-de-sac is calm and quiet. My lawn still smells fresh from its first cut of the year late yesterday afternoon.

The recovery from the rainy season is slow. A week without rain and with only a feeble spring sun has, I feel sure, converted at least some of the moisture on the ground into water vapour. However, there is little evidence of it; the ground remains sodden. I have noticed some truly enormous weeds in the garden, especially hiding in the shade of a bay-laurel in the corner of the border. They would appear to be beneficiaries of the wet, dark and relatively warm conditions of recent months.

I have not been a beneficiary of such conditions. Black spot and mould are more prevalent than ever, requiring regular cleaning around the home, especially around openings – doors and windows. Mould spores exist in all parts of any building, wherever ‘wet trades’ were involved in construction, such as plastering and painting. Those spores can remain dormant for decades, just waiting for the right conditions to germinate.

This year those conditions have been met, not just because of the weather outside, but also because of the weather inside. I have not been able to heat the home much above 16 degrees for most of the time and, since cold air holds less moisture than warm air, moisture generated within the home has condensed on walls and windows, providing ideal conditions for the germination of mould. However, I am vigilant when it comes to cleaning and so have managed to ensure that spores remain, on the whole, dormant. For those that germinate I have, sadly, had to resort to chemicals to kill them, including the roots. Later today I shall be doing the same in the garden – removing giant dandelions. One outcome of climate change that will only get worse over time.