Wild weather mayhem

[NightHawk]

Over the past 2 days we've been hit with gale force winds and torrential downpours.

Our garden plants have taken a real battering, particularly our long-stemmed Cosmos 'Purity' and Dahlias.  Although they are against a fence they have still been flattened to the ground.

We're going to have to get some stake-rings to give them some support so, hopefully, they will recover and spring back up again.

The rest of our more tender plants were staked up anyway so they fared much better during this onslaught.

This is our first experience of winds this strong down here in the south, but I don't think it is the norm.

Has anyone else been experiencing extreme weather conditions lately?

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

Sorry to hear about the mayhem Laurie It must be very discouraging when you are trying to get your new garden as you would like it. We had torrential rain accompanied by wind last Sunday. The most noticeable thing was our ponds were full of debris which we had to take of with our long handled net, which I made some time ago for the purpose. It coincided with us going out to lunch. The roads were awash and the windscreen wipers were not really coping. We got to our destination and I parked two yards from the door but we still had to wait five minutes for it to ease otherwise we would have been soaked through 

[NightHawk]

Well Eric, as we speak we are bracing ourselves for another severe weather alert, as Hurricane Katia heads our way from just missing the east coast of USA.

It will have weakened by the time it arrives at the UK on Sunday, so won't actually be a full hurricane by then, but still appears to have a lot of power left in it.

Here's a link to the BBC Weather website where you can read about it.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

I empathise fully on plants being flattened Laurie. I try to leave staking as long as possible - it spoils their natural appearance when constrained. The other alternative, I guess, would be to stake them early and allow them to grow naturally into a support framework with netting. Cosmos and Dahlias are easily flattened. I find Dahlias break off at the base when flattened, so they definitely need to be staked in advance. Cosmos may be more obliging when staked upright again after keeling over - perhaps you can comment later on how successful that operation goes.
Some plants can take a real hammering and stay upright. I think a new topic on the subject would be very much in order.
First to add to the list from me would be Phlox paniculata and the perennial Asters.

Bracing ourselves for Katia here!

[NightHawk]

Some plants can take a real hammering and stay upright. I think a new topic on the subject would be very much in order.
First to add to the list from me would be Phlox paniculata and the perennial Asters.

I've started a new topic on the plant staking subject called Support your plants

Please feel free to contribute your thoughts on the subject.

Laurie.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for that Laurie! Time for a survey of the garden!

[Eric Hardy]

I expect George is feeling the brunt of the remains of Katia crossing the Atlantic. Here the weather has been odd. Yesterday we went to a BBQ anticipating wet weather and it was beautiful . We got back home at 3.30 in bright sunshine but there was an ominous sky. Then, even  before we were out of the car, a wind struck up and it rained  . Within a minute it was lashing down and the trees were being buffeted. we watched apples dropping off the trees from the kitchen window. Half an hour later it was all peaceful again, the sun was out and there was a glorious rainbow. Today is beautifully clear, sunny, but a strong wind. The result of all that is we have been mass producing baked apples today (Bramley Seedlings) and storing them in containers in the freezer. I love baked apples  .

[ideasguy]

Yes, it was a wild day here. No rain though, rather surprisingly, but there was heavy rain last night.
Apart from moving a couple of large pots to shelter, Ive been indoors today, on the computer (very busy at present). My Japanese maples were giving a fine show of autumn colour, but they will be a bit bare after this!

Pears anyone? I mean DOZENS of pears anyone? The tree was laden this year - pollination time was very mild, and no late frosts - the best crop ever and they were hanging like grapes, and a good size. Problem is that most of them have fallen. I tasted some, and to my surprise they were actually ripe and tasty - I thought it would take another month yet.

Thanks for the tip about the Bramleys, Eric.
Again, a massive crop, but they were a bit smaller than normal and not as good quality.
Do you spray? I don't, not because I have anything against it, I just don't seem to have time in spring.

I am thinking of buying a second freezer for fruit. Looks like the time is now!
OK, tease me -how do you use the Baked apples?

Hope the winds don't strip the Damson tree - they are mid picking period. I squeeze and pick only the ones that are softish. Means I have to go over the tree a few times, but I love them fresh, and my wife makes fine jam - our favourite - well so are blackcurrants and raspberries.

[Eric Hardy]

Do you spray?

No, I never have, George

OK, tease me -how do you use the Baked apples?

Eat them  .

I am thinking of buying a second freezer for fruit.

We did just that, George. We have two upright freezers. One has the meat, fish, bread and so on. The other is devoted entirely to fruit and veg. Much to be recommended if you have the space.

Back to the baked apples  . We core them, put them in a baking dish, put raisins down the hole and sprinkle with demerara sugar. There were about eight or nine apples per dish and we had four dishes baking in the oven. Each container in the freezer contains about four apples. Melted, warmed, eaten with crème freche - delicious!  . I always enjoy eating the skin too but I remove the skin from Anthea's.

my wife makes fine jam - our favourite - well so are blackcurrants and raspberries.

Anthea is also keen on making jam. So far this year, as well as orange marmalade, she has made gooseberry & blackcurrant (a mixture which came out rather well), raspberry, plum and redcurrant jelly. On top of that she has made apple chutney from windfalls. She always seems to make more than we can use but she likes to give visitors a pot to take away with them.

[ideasguy]

Thanks for those tips Eric!
We will do a batch of Baked apples tomorrow (to your recipe!)

I think I could easily fill a second freezer with fruit. I have a spot for it in the new garage.
Apples abound! I love them stewed. Hope they freeze OK like that.

Gooseberry and Blackcurrant! Thats a new one on us. We have a very productive Goosberry bush. We made jam one year but it wasn't as popular as the others. Maybe we will try your idea on that next year. Our blackcurrants are precious - it takes me ages to pick them, and I usually have to go over the bush two or three times as they gradually ripen.

Any good ideas on what to do with pears?

[Eric Hardy]

We will do a batch of Baked apples tomorrow (to your recipe!)

This is the first time we have tried freezing baked apples, George. I don't see why they won't work because we have frozen stewed apples for years and that works very well.

We have a very productive Gooseberry bush. We made jam one year but it wasn't as popular as the others. Maybe we will try your idea on that next year.

We visited my god-daughter in Sevenoaks earlier this year. She swears by putting elderflower in her gooseberry jam. We have masses of elderflower near us but have never tried it. Unfortunately the elderflower was over early this year and we missed it.

Our blackcurrants are precious - it takes me ages to pick them, and I usually have to go over the bush two or three times as they gradually ripen.

We have adopted a method that Anthea's parents used when they got old. When there is plenty of ripe fruit we prune back the old wood and sit comfortably on a garden seat and strip off the fruit into containers. This does two jobs in one. We have four bushes that are very productive but they are getting rather old. This year we took two out and replaced them with two young bushes that Anthea propagated (as recommended by Monty Don  )

Any good ideas on what to do with pears?

We have one small Comice Pear tree that has never produced gluts so we just enjoy them as fruit from the bowl. If Anthea gets her hand on any pears that are not very ripe she peels them, cuts them in half, removes the core such as it is and stews them in red wine. She learned that from a French friend years ago. Unlike Bramleys which turn into a purée when stewed, pears keep their shape. They are nice with a little cream.