As I sit drafting this post bright sun shines, speeding clouds scud; wild wind howls along Christchurch Road sweeping through the garden, rustling the kitchen door curtain and setting tinkling charms jingling.
We are now into our third consecutive day/night of fierce breezes. Tentatively I ventured out to survey the damage and was able to report to the Head Gardener that she was in for a pleasant surprise.
Even the patio chairs had stayed upright, while its planting, and that of the Pond Bed, remained intact. Bigifying the third picture in this gallery will show that the whirling ladybird with the white wings enjoys full gyration whereas her red-winged sister has been somewhat restrained by an amorous verbena bonariensis.
Other views of the Pond Bed are equally encouraging. Dahlias remain strong and a solitary bee was attracted by the hibiscus;
Japanese anemones feature there and elsewhere. The Brick Path in the second picture here needs no current sweeping, although that is not a task we will undertake until the wind drops.
A few trugs have been blown about, although this bright green one remained static whilst being photographed from two separate angles. The first of these two pictures shows an empty brick plinth with the pot that should stand on it having been blown down. The container is a bit chipped and the planting spoiled, but it will no doubt recover.
Of the very few other broken plants we have this pretty, elegant, gladiolus, and the unfortunate Mum in a Million.
The tall red climbing rose in the Oval Bed has bowed enough for me to photograph it head on;
The yellow crocosmia has also dropped a little, but remains intact.
Rose Alan Titchmarsh has drooped a little and a stem of Super Elfin has come adrift from the Gothic arch where
a somewhat aged Doctor Ruppel remains in place.
The weeping birch, the copper beech, and the cordyline Australis, although swaying somewhat, are not shedding too many twigs.
White begonias shaded by the wisteria, and similarly hued petunias in the rose garden still have all their petals.
This final triptych shows the Oval Bed pictured earlier from the corner of Margery’s Bed; nicotiana sylvestris towering over the rest of the Dead End Path planting; and a small owl toppled beside the Shady Path.
All in all we are getting off surprisingly lightly.
This evening we dined on baked gammon; crisp roast potatoes, the sweet variety being soft-centred; piquant cauliflower cheese; crunchy carrots; and tender cabbage, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Saint-Chinian 2017.
Phew, you’ve thankfully gotten off lightly and I hope that remains so.
Thanks, Sheree. Let’s hope so.
I’m so glad the beautiful garden survived the weather. It seems to have been widespread.
Bring back the sunshine…soon!
Thanks a lot, Sue
Glad your place weathered the storms with minimal problems, Derrick.
Thanks very much, Maj.
Your garden weathered the storm surprisingly well. That must have been quite a relief!
It certainly was 🙂 Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast – Tuesday is looking particularly dodgy!
Thanks very much, Jessica. We hadn’t seen that.
You and Jackie have raised some beautiful and quite tough flowers. I hope your weather settles down.
Thanks very much, Jill.
So it seems, we have only done it by trial and lots of errors, the same with the garden fittings(urns and arches and the like) first storms blew down arches and less sturdy green houses, etc, now all is reinforced and heavy, or wired into place!
🙂
A good outcome.
Thanks very much, Peggy.
I enjoyed your poetic introduction Derrick… Here’s my little response
“Nature’s midnight howling
Was a bark worse than her bite
And the garden withstood her growling”
Great response, Ivor. Thanks very much.
That’s nice Ivor.
🙂
As the seasons begin to turn, I guess we are all in for some blowy and wet weather……. glad there was so little damage done in this latest visit from Ms Wind. We have pretty much ten days of wet and windy weather forecast. Blah!!
Blah, indeed. Thanks very much, Pauline.
I suppose the season is turning, but I am not ready to slide into autumn just yet! but I feel bad that as I cling to summer, your spring will be delayed, so roll on the year, I do suddenly decide I’ve had enough of the summer, and plan for next spring, and Christmas.
🙂
😀 That’s the attitude! There’s always something to look forward to isn’t there. Though now I wonder if there are many who hang on desperately to winter – for whatever reason……
I don’t like the northern winds that blow through my garden. It takes everything with it. The last was a beauty so we secured every thing for any further winds of that velocity so most things should stay stable in high winds.
I noticed your garden arch. It looks similar to the one we have on order from the other side of the country. Western Australia actually. I’m hoping to try just one rose, a climbing rose in the new garden. I’m yet to find one I like but I’ll keep searching.
I’m glad there wasn’t too much damage in your garden. 🙂
Thanks very much, Chrissy. My son’s mother-in-law grows roses in Perth. It was so hot when he and Holly were married in December 2007 they were all burnt.
Hooray.
Cheers, Tootlepedal.
I’m glad you didn’t have much damage. Maybe all the flowers and bushes were holding on to each other.
Maybe so, JoAnna. 🙂 Thank you very much.
It looks like you weathered the fierce breezes well. Unbelievable the amount and variety of plants in your garden. All looks great.
Thank you very much, Judy. We certainly are relieved, and can clear up today.
I am glad to see that your fabulous garden has not sustained much damage, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Dolly.
You are very welcome, Derrick.
This is great news for you and Jackie. I hope Nugget is also safe…
Thanks very much, Takami – especially for remembering Nugget.
The Damage Report also presents a lyrical tour through the garden in the backdrop of unending gusts. I am sure the Head Gardener approves!
I hope so, Uma. She is reading it at the moment. 🙂 Thanks very much.
Glad the damage was not worse.
Thanks very much, Mrs W.
Your welcome.
YAY for the garden doing so well during the wild winds!
Maybe that little owl was just taking a nap? 😉
I’ve had Nugget and his family on my mind…I hope they are well.
Some of our usual birds have left early…we think they have gone south already…which they usually don’t do until the beginning of September. I miss them.
(((HUGS))) <3 🙂
PS…we fixed a pot of homemade pinto beans and jalapeño cornbread! 🙂
Thanks very much, Carolyn. Unfortunately the owl lost an ear and we haven’t yet found it. We hope Nugget will eventually return. X
Oh, no! 🙁 Poor little owl.
Yes, I hope Nugget will, too.
And there’s more wind to come, apparently! The storms seem to get earlier and earlier year by year
So I gather. Thanks a lot, John
We’ve had a few days of similar weather ourselves! The storms seem to get earlier and earlier every year.
Thanks a lot, John
Yes, you got off easy, the garden has held up beautifully.
Thanks very much, GP
I have been quietly following your blog for several months now Derrick. It’s a pleasure to read.
So pleased your garden survived the recent stormy weather. We got off fairly lightly on the east coast – we have those bitter winter winds from Siberia to look forward to!
Thank you very much, Selina. I’m pleased
It’s wonderful that you had little damage. Your garden looks as beautiful as always!
Thanks very much, Merril
The wind had blown itself out more or less by the time it arrived in the east but it still gave my runner beans a battering.
Thanks a lot, Andrew.
I am glad to hear your gardens have come through with minimal damage, Derrick and Jackie. It still looks like paradise there!
The temperature has dropped into the low 80s here, at least for a few days. Come early September, we should see a shift in the weather into cooler days.
Thanks very much from us Bothe, Lavinia. Good news for you.
Nauw … , effe dimmen Derrick J.K. … Die Treurbeuk of koperenberk, wat is het … , staat scheef of hoort hij zo te staan treuren en de rest zet je gewoon weer recht op. Oké, er is een stenen uiltje omver gevallen in het schaduwpad … Ja, maar om daar nu over naar huis te schrijven …
Derrick J.K.: “I write about it, oké …” Onze tuin. Waar bemoeit die Amsterdamse Snol zich mee … , dacht hij.
Tante Friet: “Ik keek alleen maar effe wat de schade was …” * http://www.friedabblog.wordpress.com * Amsterdam, 23 – 8 – 2020 *
Thank you very much, Friede
thank goodness your beautiful garden survived! and even with few beauties that have fallen will, i’m sure, bounce back! hope the fierce winds are gone! take care 🙂
Looks like your garden is still in tact. Your Japanese Maple will come back out next season. I have a lillac that dies down to the stems by late summer, but always blooms again in the spring.
We hope so, but sometimes our salty wind damage has finished branches on other trees. Thanks very much, Dwight.
The garden is too beautiful even for the strong winds to damage it ??
Thos white begonias are so gorgeous!
Thank you very much, Ribana
Thanks very much, Sue.