I spent much of the day either side of lunch producing https://derrickjknight.com/2021/12/08/a-knights-tale-76-issues-of-loss-change-and-resilience/ which I posted later.
I then uploaded garden photographs I had made earlier.
Pansies and viburnum usually flower all year round, but to find sunny solanum and winter flowering cherry together is not normally expected.
We still have a number of fuchsias in bloom.
Not much damage was caused by storm Barra. One broken and a few redistributed pots and watering cans; fallen strings of solar lights, rose stems, twigs from birch and beech; owls, and a path sign, were all we really suffered. We will right a few pots and garden ornaments and gather up the arboreal offerings when we feel in the mood.
This evening we dined on second helpings of yesterday’s Red Chilli takeaway with the addition of vegetable samosas. Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank Collin Bourisset Macon 2019.
Wow, you’ve had several bad storms recen tly. I hope they stop tearing up your garden, Derrick!
Thank you very much, John
I particularly like the winter flowering cherry photo, the way only one foreground blossom is in focus.
Thank you for appreciating that, Liz. I worked hard to get just that one sharp
You’re welcome, Derrick. I saw the skill that went into setting up the photo after I went back and looked at it closely.
I’m glad you didn’t have too much damage, but I like how the broken pieces of the pot become things of beauty, too.
So true, Merril. Thanks very much
Your garden is charmed! All that weather and so little damage!
It is. Thanks very much, GP
Pansies have such pretty, chirpy faces – even following a storm!
Your photo of the cherry is lovely. So delicate. I hope it will not be harmed by the wild weather we’re having.
Hope, too, that your lovely owls will be safe.
Thanks very much, Emma. Because it was still pretty windy when I took those photographs I didn’t pick up the owls, but I don’t think they were damaged.
So glad. Perhaps they will rest on very low perches – or even safe on the ground – for the winter?!
Perhaps – we’ll see how it goes
I knew that fuchsias grew year year-round in California, but I did not expect them in England. Nice.
Thanks very much, Pat
I’m happy you didn’t experience too much damage from the storm. I’ve always loved the purple and yellow pansies! Thanks for sharing!
Much appreciated, Jill
Yes indeed Derrick, storms are very moody events .. “We will right a few pots and garden ornaments and gather up the arboreal offerings when we feel in the mood.”
🙂 Thanks a lot, Ivor
So sorry to hear about, and see, the storm damage. 🙁 Aw, on the Florence Five Ways sign and the little owls. 🙁 You know how much I love the owls that watch over your garden. 🙂
Those precious flowers, especially the sweet-pansy-faces, remind us that even tho’ delicate, they are strong and resilient. We must remember them when we are weathering our own personal life-storms. 🙂
It is a cold, gray, dreary-outside day here…rain and snow expected the next few days.
But, the sun is brightly shining inside…the house and our hearts! 😀
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Thank you very much for your usual eloquent responses, Carolyn X
Relatively calm here in the east!
And her now. Thanks a lot, Andrew
i’m glad there’s not much damage to your garden, Derrick. the fuchsias are beautiful!
Thank you very much, Lola
I am glad that you were treated lightly by the storm. My sister in Portsmouth got some horrendous rain.
I’ll bet she did, Tootlepedal. Thanks very much
I’m rather surprised by your continuing blooms. I suppose your marine environment helps to keep things warmer, as it does here. There can be quite a temperature spread between south-of-Houston and north-of-Houston, and that’s less than a hundred miles.
I enjoyed seeing your pansies. They used as bedding plants in commercial landscapes here, and the crews have been busy planting them in the past couple of weeks.
Thank you very much, Linda. I think you are right
Pleased you missed the worse of it. Just feels like the storms keep coming.
They do, Gary. Thanks a lot
I am interested in the name given to this second storm: Barra the fish or barra a bar.
I don’t know why the name was chosen, but I imagine it was from the island of Barra in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides (named after Saint Finbarr of Cork). Thanks very much, Anne
Oh, that’s interesting and makes sense – thank you, Derrick.
The flowers are lovely. I like your plan to gather up “arboreal offerings” when you feel in the mood.
Thank you very much, JoAnna
It seems the big bad wolf Barra was riding was in a hurry to leave after all. The persisting flowers are a reason to cheer and they have rightly found their place in the chronicles.
Thank you so much, Uma
Glad there wasn’t much damage. Always amazed by how long your flowers bloom, especially as you are, in fact, farther north than we are.
Gosh, that is a geographical fact of which I was unaware. Thanks very much, Laurie
We are about 43 to 47 degrees latitude, and you are 50 to 56 degrees latitude. We are buried in snow in the winter. Where you live, the pansies bloom year round. Funny, isn’t it?
It sure is
The pansies have such bright, smiling faces! I am glad the storm damage was not worse.
Thank you very much, Lavinia
I love winter flowering cherry, quite unusual for me. It looks like your garden will keep you busy the next couple of days. Good luck with cleaning.
Thanks very much, Rupali
Despite the gales, the garden is still looking very lovely.
Thank you very much, Sue
I am happy not much damage was caused. We too ate samosas a few days ago 😊
Thanks very much, Lakshmi
Delighted to see so little damage
Thanks very much, Sheree
Your idea of “not much damage” and mine are different! That looked like waaay too much damage to me. You work so hard to create a beautiful garden and those storms seem relentless! I am read for them to stop toppling things in your beautiful oasis!!
So are we, Jan Thanks very much X
It seems you have had several storms this year?
Quite a few, Eugi. Thank you very much
We didn’t see much of the storm so escaped unscathed. Shame about the broken pots.
Thanks a lot, Andrew
Hi Derrick, thank you for reminding me that ballerina flowers are actually called fuchsias, I can never remember that. I am glad you didn’t suffer to much damage from the storm.
Thanks very much, Robbie. We actually have a rose called Ballerina 🙂
It sounds lovely.
It is a dancing spreading shrub.
I am glad your wonderful garden has not suffered too much damage, but I am sorry about Jackie’s owls.
Thanks very much, Dolly. The owls may be recoverable
I hope they are. You are very welcome, Derrick.
Luckily not too much damage! There’s still color 😉🌸
Thanks very much, Ribana
Lovely to see your fuchsias and glad Storm Barra was not too damaging.
Thanks very much, Helen
So sorry to see the damage in your beautiful garden. In Wyoming, we had wind up to 118 Mph and some roads we usually use to see my son are closed for too much snow!
That is really bad weather, Byung. Thanks very much