'Willpower & sheer idiocy combine in harmony'
IF a storm, or gale-force winds are forecast, here's the 10 most important things to do to lessen the destruction:
1. Trees: They cause much of the damage to homes, by breaking apart or uprooting in severe winds. Inspect any mature trees on or near your property for structural weaknesses, or dead wood.
2. Outdoor furniture: Bring inside any loose, lightweight objects. Either bring your patio furniture and barbecue into the garage or indoors, or tie them securely to (sturdy) trees in the garden. Turn tables upside down so the wind can’t catch the surface.
3. Hammocks: Bring them inside - they catch the wind like a sail and can cause major damage when still attached to a metal frame.
4. Border plants: Smaller plants in pots can be brought inside but shrubs in beds and borders will just have to weather the storm.
You just have to accept that they're probably going to suffer damage, so be prepared to prune and stake once the weather clears.
5. Annuals: Bad weather may spell the end for crops such as runner beans, and tall flowers like sunflowers and Cosmos.
6. Large potted plants: Lie them on their sides with the tops of the plants pointing away from the expected direction of the strongest winds.
7. Ceramic pots: Protect expensive, fragile pots by wrapping them in bubble wrap. Use bricks or wooden blocks to wedge the pots so they don’t roll.
8. Fruit trees: Pick apples and pears, which are likely to be blown from their trees.
9. Any weight on trees: As well as fruit, remove hanging ornaments, bird tables and swings from trees, to prevent branches from splitting.
10. Garden ornaments/structures: Make sure obelisks, arches and frames are secure BEFORE the winds hit.
Storms, gales, cold: plant protection
Rosemary snapped in January 2015 gales damage.
Tips for protecting plants in winter
Here's my top 10 tips for helping borderline plants survive the winter:
1. Gunnera: Cover the crown with its own huge leaves to stop it rotting.
2. Euphorbia wulfenii: Hardy down to -5C; good drainage is the key.
3. Red hot pokers: Tie foliage in a top knot to protect the crown. Good drainage essentIal.
4. Mulching: A 2" mulch of compost acts as an insulating blanket and smothers weeds.
5. Giant mullein (Verbascum bombyciferum): Mulch heavily and watch out for rot.
6. Ornamental rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) and Rodgersia: Cut back.
7. Herbaceous perennials: Leave dead stems to provide protection for the crowns.
8. Conifers: Gently knock heavy snow off branches, which can be broken by the weight.
9: Snow: A covering provides an insulating 'blanket' to bare soil, so let it melt naturally.
10. Grass: Don't walk on a frosted lawn - it damages the turf.
A young Euphorbia wulfenii in a drawstring fleece bag.
THE RHS hardiness classifications are in Centigrade and refer to the LOWEST temperature a plant will normally survive.
H1a: Greater than 15C - heated greenhouse all year.
H1b: 10 to 15C - heated greenhouse, can be grown outside in summer in hotter, sunny and subtropical sheltered locations, but performs better under glass all year.
H1c: 5 to 10C - heated greenhouse, can be grown outside in summer in most of the UK. (Most bedding plants, tomatoes and cucumbers.)
H2: 1 to 5C - tender - tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving frost, except in frost-free southern inner-city areas or coastal areas. Can be grown outside once risk of frost is over. (Most succulents, subtropical plants, bedding plants, spring-sown vegetables.)
H3: 1 to -5C - half hardy – hardy in coastal and mild parts of the UK except in severe winters. At risk from sudden (early) frosts. May be hardy with wall shelter or microclimate. Likely to be damaged or killed in cold winters, particularly with no snow cover or if pot grown. (Many Mediterranean plants, spring-sown vegetables.)
H4: -10 to -5C - hardy (average winter) in most of the UK apart from inland valleys, at altitude and central/northerly locations. May suffer foliage damage and stem dieback in harsh winters. Some normally hardy plants may not survive wet winters in heavy soils. Plants in pots are more vulnerable, particularly evergreens and bulbs. (Many herbaceous and woody plants.)
H5: -15 to -10C - hardy (cold winter) in most places in the UK even in severe winters. May not withstand open/exposed sites or central/northern locations. Many evergreens will suffer foliage damage; plants in pots at increased risk. (Many herbaceous and woody plants, brassicas, leeks.)
H6: -20 to -15C - hardy (very cold winter) in all of UK and northern Europe. Plants grown in containers will be damaged unless given protection. (Herbaceous and woody plants from continental climates.)
H7: Less than -20 - very hardy in the severest European continental climates.
RHS hardiness classifications
First and last frost dates in the North & Scotland
IT never fails to amaze me how easily the temperature can drop in North-East England and Scotland. Just when you think summer's round the corner, a blast of Arctic air can ruin a gardener's plans.
Get the fleece ready for any fruit trees in blossom; take in any plants you're hardening off and anything slightly tender.
At 55 degrees North, where I live, we're on the same latitude as Newfoundland and Alaska. We should thank our lucky stars for the Gulf Stream keeping us relatively temperate.
To plan your garden successfully, you need to know approximately when your first and last frosts will be, so you can plant out tender annuals and veg - and gather in your harvest - without your efforts coming to nothing.
Of course, it's not just how far North you are, but your altitude (the higher, the greater the risk).
Rural areas cool faster than cities, as the concrete in built-up areas releases heat stored during the day slowly - a difference of a few degrees.
Coastal areas also benefit in winter - the sea is warmer than the land in the colder months, the opposite of summer.
Here's a list of Northern English and Scottish towns and cities and their expected first/last frost dates. I was very surprised when I read it and of course, this is only a guideline - I watch Countryfile's weekly weather round-up and check the Met Office daily. You never know... I remember it snowing in June once!
Bradford: Mid-October/Mid-May
Hull: Mid-October/Early-May
Leeds: Late-September/Mid-May
Liverpool: Mid-October/Early-May
Manchester: Mid-October/Early-May
Middlesborough: Mid-October/Early-May
Newcastle-upon-Tyne/Gateshead: Early-October/Late-May
Sheffield: Mid-October/Mid-May
York: Mid-October/Mid-May
Aberdeen: Early-October/Late-May
Ayr: Mid-October/Mid-May
Dundee: Mid-October/Early-May
Edinburgh: Early-October/Mid-May
Glasgow: Mid-October/Mid-May
Beware benign weather - last year's plants hardening off in April. I lost every one of Nicandra Splash of Cream to a late frost. I haven't started putting things out this year - there's supposed to be an Arctic blast coming down this weekend.
It's an ill wind that blows no one any good
Nov/Dec 2015: A spate of gales bring down four ridge tiles - not great, but look at the golden lichen on this tile, destined to become part of my alpine display.