Thursday 13 February 2014

Picking up the Pieces


It was a wild one last night! In our thirty six years down here, I don't think I've ever experienced a storm like it. By four-o-clock in the afternoon, the wind was fairly raging and the rain was rattling down in stair rods.  I did my best to mend a small rip in the newest poly tunnel but had to give in and dive for cover into the house.


One look through the bedroom window this morning and this is what greeted us - the 30 foot tunnel on the east side, next to the brook looked as if it had been slashed with a knife. The seventy footer one next to it was torn to shreds. Oh well  - it did need a new cover - we'd been saying for ages. and it certainly does now.


Spent the afternoon, patching the smaller tunnel with Rhino tape. Brilliant stuff for holding it all together. It was just about in one piece again when I came in. I've got spring cabbage, leeks, onions, garlic and lettuce in there right now.

All my plants were in the disaster area, along with some broad beans, I'd sown in cardboard pots.  I'd sown 6 rows of parsnips a couple of days ago. Also got beetroot, broccoli and cauliflowers growing - but they look as though they'd survived okay. It was a bit of a marathon, fleecing up as much as I could, so hope they make it through.


Anyway, the daffodil bulbs are are pushing their heads up where they can.


And the primroses starting to bud..


Good old hellebore flowering again amongst last year's windfall apples.


And Eric? ..... well he slept through the lot of it.
There's another front coming in tomorrow, so they tell us.

29 comments:

  1. Sorry you had so much damage...Mother Nature is nipping at our heels this year.

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    1. All the snow you've had hasn't been much fun either - it can only get better.

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  2. Oh, poor Molly. At least your plants seem to have survived OK. If they can just get through the next lot, I gather things are supposed to be quietening down a bit. Yesterday was dreadful. :-(

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    1. At least we haven't had any flood water in the house, like so many. I was watching TV coverage of Wraysbury of how people were helping each other - even making cups of tea in the hall to help their neighbours as they carried sand bags around the houses. So that was good wasn't it!

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  3. I hope your weather gets over itself I hope you get over your weather soon. It's a lot of cleanup left behind.

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    1. And yours too. We are supposed to have a respite next week. The people along the coast and in the south have had it the worse.

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  4. Oh dear Molly, at least the plants look o.k. but what a lot of work clearing the mess uIt is good to see spring plants poking their way through.

    Good to talk yesterday.

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    1. Thank you fro ringing Sue - so good to hear from you.

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  5. Oft have I thought this would happen to our polytunnel, it is the stuff of nightmares. I'm glad you were able to make running repairs. I have never forgotten how you warned me that fitting the cover was the difficult bit, I thought of you often as we finally got it done to the gang-master's satisfaction! i wish we didn't live so far away from you - we'd be happy to give a hand. Let's hope this weather settles down soon.

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    1. Elaine, that is so sweet of you. The big sheet was well past it's sell by. I think I would have been more than a bit miffed if we'd only just put a new one on. I've half a mind to forget it and turn it back into just an open air veggie patch - we've got two other tunnels and old age doesn't come on its own. Hope your poly tunnel survived OK - the weather is supposed to improve next week, so that will be something.

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  6. Oh how, disappointing Molly, hope your plants survive and thrive.......
    Would love to send you some of our warmth and sunshine in exchange for a couple of inches of rain.
    Hoping you can stay warm and dry......

    Clarie Xx

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    1. Claire, thank you for your sweet comment. Wishing you, refreshing rain drops through all that hot weather you're having right now

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  7. Wow that sounds like an intense storm Molly. Glad you're ok and I hope the plants all survive!!

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    1. It was a bit of a wild one. Thought we were in for another today but not been too bad so far. Keith, thank you for your concern and yes we're doing OK, plants too - we'll get there.

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  8. Scary stuff battling with the gales - we were allright our greenhouse was already down and no hope of getting the new one up yet awhile !! - one piece of fence gave way - take care xx

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    1. Hiya, you two. glad you're both OK - was a bit of a do wasn't it!

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  10. Sorry -- I hate typos.

    What a wild spring you are having! Seeing green, though, that's what I keep seeing. It's been a wildly cold winter here…

    Greetings from Minneapolis,

    Pearl

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    1. Hi Pearl, thank you for dropping by and commenting. The weather here was a lot calmer today, even a glitch of sunshine. I've heard about all that snow and cold weather you're having on our news - life is not easy for you either.

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  11. I hope all your plantings survived. At least now you'll know to get a new cover for next season, although rhino tape being what it is, maybe it will last a bit longer.

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    1. They're looking ok so far (fingers crossed) Our weather was much calmer and better today - hope you are getting a bit of respite from all that heat.

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  12. So sorry to see the damage to your tunnel houses. You have had a rough go of it with all the rain and high wind. Hoping for some improvement in the weather. Our news says that the ground is so wet now that there is no where for any more water to go. Do take care.

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    1. Hello Bonnie - it was much better here today, thank Goodness. The people in the southern counties are having a rough time with the water still rising.

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  13. What a fierce storm. I am glad that you are O.K. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada.

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  14. Linda, thank you for your comment. Warm greetings to you too.

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  15. Your garden looks like it will be brilliant despite the wild storm, Molly!

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  16. Donna, thank you for visiting. How are you? Are you snowed in? I bought lots of half price seeds today and the weather hasn't been to bad, so itching to get started again.

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  17. I hope all is safe again now.
    That was a rollercoaster, wasn’t it. Quite scary.

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  18. Just the clearing up part now. Gardener would be my gift from heaven - I am feeling a bit exhausted today.

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