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Monday 11 August 2014

A BLUSTERY DAY IN AUGUST - REMNANTS OF HURRICANE BERTHA

I cannot tell you just how relieved I was this morning when I rolled up the blinds and looked out upon my garden to find all the fences and plants intact.  After all the weather warnings we had received in the U.K. as the remains of Hurricane Bertha headed our way in the form of heavy rain and strong winds, I cannot see a single sign of damage.  Although it's still quite windy out, there are momentary lulls and I don't feel the wind strength is enough to worry about.  The Southgate and Swingtime fuchsia filled hanging baskets have survived extremely well, and the taller plants like the Penstemons and the taller Campanulas are still upright and the flowers unscathed.  The cherry tree is still full of leaves and is looking remarkably fresh and healthy considering all the wind and rain we've had and I am wondering now if I have been watering it enough!  A tile has slipped on my roof but is still protecting my home, I think, and so all is well, so far.  A big surprise is that the climbers facing the brunt of the wind—the Jasmine officinale, the Lonicera periclymenum 'Scentsation', and the roses New Dawn and Wild Eve are still clinging together and clinging onto my north-facing fence.  Strangely, in my garden, the wind seems to be blowing in all directions.  I hung some washing out and it was blowing this way and that.  Very odd.




Lonicera periclymenum Scentsation

















I was quite enthralled, as I sat on the swing, getting a bit of fresh air after being indoors most of yesterday due to the heavy rain, with the white clouds in the blue sky.  The wind through the neighbouring trees is making quite a racket and the clouds are scudding in an easterly direction so quickly.


 


 






Alfie, the resident Ragdoll cat, doesn't like windy weather.  In fact, Alfie doesn't like it too windy, too hot, too cold, too wet, too snowy, or any mixture of those.  It has to be Goldilocks weather—just right.   He was heading up the path today to where he escapes from my garden and into the no-man's land beyond when a gust of wind made him do an about-turn.  You can see from his face (which normally looks so placid and sweet), and his arched back, that he wasn't impressed.




Alfie, the Resident Ragdoll Cat