Drought

We partly chose Hungary because of the climate: warm summers, but enough rain to have a lush, fertile garden… Well, that didn’t quite work out this year. Our beautifully germinated grass couldn’t cope with the drought, and with only 250 mm of rain instead of the average 750 mm, irrigation simply wasn’t realistic. We managed to keep most of the young trees and shrubs we planted alive. Now all we can do is hope for a wetter year next year!

Just how exceptionally dry it was could also be seen in places like the Danube and Lake Balaton. The fun water slides that end in the lake were closed one after another, because you ended up in the water far from the actual shoreline. On top of that, the ground beyond the beach (in Hungary, that means a grassy area along the lake rather than a sandy beach) is a mixture of sand and clay, which can become quite muddy in places. Instead of a nice transition from grass to water, you got 20–50 metres of mud.

The birds seemed to love it, and it is actually quite beautiful too, but another metre of water would certainly be welcome before next season!