Rain Hail Gales Repeat

 

Yep ! It's still raining here .

Severe gales . The sound of hail and torrential rain on the window . Roof tiles rattling and things blowing and banging around outside . Hard to sleep wondering if the greenhouse was going to be still standing in the  morning .

A tree had fallen across the lane . It hadn't fallen all the way down , but was leaning on a bunch of wires coming from the telegraph pole . The wires were pulled all the way across to the other side of the lane .

 I rang SWEB who sent two tree surgeons around within half an hour , we were very impressed . The power stayed on , they worked on it live !  In the dark too ! 

                          It was quite a big tree . 

We had no real damage done here .  A leaning washing line and an overturned chair .

Five Ginkgo bilobas waiting to be planted out .

I had thought that I might get them planted today . Alas ! There was still so much to be done first !

I tied a rag to a tall cane , to see where the trees would look best when they reached maturity  .

Ginkgos turn a gorgeous butter yellow in the Autumn .

So over here we had some huge Griselinia bushes that  had grown too high for me to manage . I have a rule - "Never let a bush or hedge become any higher than I can easily manage to reach . "  So we had the tree surgeons take it down quite low , so that it will also  bush out lower down to make a better hedge .

If you click on this pic you will see that I am also clearing the old compost heap , which , years ago , unfortunately I surrounded with chicken wire and posts . Wow ! I did a really good job of it too ! I hammered in big nails to keep the chicken-wire attached to the posts and pulled it all nicely down to the bottom ....and now I am having great difficulty pulling it all up again .

I used to turn this compost heap over every two weeks , from top to bottom and it made the best compost . Then , while I wasn't well , for quite some time , I couldn't manage to do that and so the stinging nettles moved in and rabbits .

Facing South , this bed should be perfect to make a wonderful , truly tropical bed .

When we first moved here I had grown Potatoes and Runner-beans over here . It's good earth too .

I managed to get one big bundle of chicken wire out , you can see that lying there to one side .

The other unfortunate thing about this area is that at some point I needed to take a break from growing vegetables over there and I stupidly lay down some old carpet and weed membrane , to cover it over for a while . I had thought that the carpet was wool and that it would eventually biodegrade . Seems I was wrong and the Bindweed and Ivy just came up through it all !

It is a large area , I had forgotten quite how large an area it is ! Large enough for a polytunnel , if only I could afford one .

I think I will just turn this area into a little woodland . The Lizard needs more trees . 

The Sycamore and Hazel that we have just had coppiced will allow more light in for my new young saplings . The two young Oak trees , one grown by my brother are now really getting away and we have even had a beautiful Jay visiting the garden this year . I have a Scarlet Oak too . Jays love Acorns, the one that visited was enjoying the last few apples too this Autumn .

My brother also grew the Horse Chestnuts up in the corner of the meadow .

Note to self -  remember to clear away the nasty brambles from around my Monkey Puzzle Tree TOMORROW ! ( I grew three of these from seed - it has to be my favourite tree ! )

So I spent a couple of hours, slogging away at pulling up Ivy and other roots which have spread all along over here ,throwing it onto a pile which I think we will burn .

I really wanted to get my saplings in while we are having all this wonderful rain . Wonderful for the saplings , not so much for me in my rubbish leaking Hunter boots which I only bought recently !

If I don't get them planted , then I will have to re-pot them and wait another year .

It will be nice when the hedge grows up again . I have filled in the gaps with some small Griselinia plants I bought at our local garden centre . Griselinia does well here and is evergreen.Makes an excellent hedge for screening and as a wind sheltering hedge .

I am also continuing to plant the native species hedge , hazel , beech , oak , hawthorn and willow along our meadow boundary , between us and our neighbours field . I wish they would do the same on their side . It is so important for the wild birds and animals to shelter and nest in .  

No pic of the meadow but I have just cut the willow down to the bottom . This will dry off slowly and eventually be used for kindling .

                            Then down to the beach to watch the wild waves !

                           Stretch out my back and think about things .

                         Gardening requires much thinking about things .

I just want to add that my heart goes out to all of you who are experiencing flooding in your homes right now . 🙏🏻