Disasters, Storms and late winter flowers

Thanks to storm Isha I know a lot of you will have sustained damage to gardens, greenhouses, fences and possibly even your house, its hard, and upsetting and expensive. Sadly people have also lost their lives, weather is such a devastating thing. I knew we wouldn’t escape any damage in our exposed position at the nursery, but even I wasn’t prepared for what met me this morning.

Any one that followed us for the past few years will know the saga of my greenhouse which was destroyed by a fallen tree on the farm back in October 2021 and how I managed to rebuild it, finally finishing it last autumn just before we closed, so you can imagine how devastating it was to come in and find it completely blown apart On monday morning after storm Isha. Our main tunnel where we do all our propagation and where we grow all the alpines, herbs and more tender plants has a huge gaping hole in it that is more than likely not repairable and the farm tunnel we have a loan of where all the propagation goes to grow on and is full had one side flapping about where the wood had rotted. We’ve managed to repair that tunnel and hopefully it will hold so we at least have one covered area to get our plants through the rest of winter. To sustain damage to all three of our covered growing areas was so disheartening. We barrowed everything we could from the greenhouse to the farm polytunnel. It rained,, it was still very windy and we had hail just to add to the mix. We will further assess our tunnel later in the week after the next bout of wind that is incoming and we’ve brought all my cacti and succulants home for now until we decide what is happening with my greenhouse. These are big set backs in lots of ways for small businesses such as ours.

I want to say a massive thank you to David who dropped everything and came to the nursery when he got my distraught phone call this morning, together we managed to get the above done. Thanks to Fiona for the offer of greenhouse space too

Tuesday was all about small wins, the weather was dry, the sun came out, the wind lessened as the day went on and I got another section of willow weaving done, trying to catch up after all the wet days. So that's three quarters done, nearly there! Focusing on that and the rhythm of the weaving certainly made me feel calmer for a while. Storm Jocelyn came and went leaving damaged roof panels on the office and David's workshop and a bit more of a tear in our tunnel but the big tunnel is still in one piece, as I said small wins.

More willow done

How fabulous are these colours of twine? Perfect for gardening (there's no way you can lose some of these bright colours in the garden) They will be available in our wee shop when we re-open at the beginning of March. Great to support another Scottish business who produce sustainably produced natural.products. Great for gardening, crafts, art and wrapping gifts.

In other news the rain forecast for all day didn't so I got another 35 feet of willow weaved. Another day and a bit should see it done.

We also had a delivery of out door pots including a new to us range which I love and I hoe you will too. Photos coming soon

Thank you to Caroline, Alice, Nadine, Andrew and Mandy and David who came along on Friday to help with the storm clear up. Your help is very much appreciated, as is the cake and coffee that I've been given through the week and the support here on facebook and instagram. I'm looking forward to a calmer weekend feeling a bit more on top of things.

We got the greenhouse dismantled and stored, all the broken glass cleared up and the area behind the office is much safer.

We decided the tunnel was beyond repair and so moved all the herbs, alpines and summer interest plants into the other tunnel. We then created an end wall to protect the rest of the plants in our tunnel and make that into a smaller still useable tunnel

Much thanks to David for twice this week dropping everything to come and help at the nursery and helping this afternoon and he also has to live with me

After a stressful week at work what do I do? Tidy my own garden of course, good to get the back garden tidied though and enjoy some unseasonably warm weather.

Corylus 'Red Majestic'

Hedera hibernica 'Rona'

Moss on the stones in the front garden

Tidying the back garden patio

back garden, Can you see where the path needs to go

Still cutting kale

Strawberries are getting growing, these are the ones I've been growing for 30 years, Cambridge Scarlet, the boys grew up eating these in all out gardens

Galanthus 'Straffan'

Helleborus 'Lentin Beauty'

Shade pots ready for spring

Is it just me or are the snowdrops flowering early this year? These were on Maisie Mouse and I's walk along the river this morning.

Cylamen coum, such a perfect wee plant and one of my favourites. I have them growing here at home

and in the nursery. Providing bright pops of colour at this time of year, a cheery welcome in the garden on winter days. With their round marked leaves and pink, white or red flowers they are well worth growing and will love a shady spot under shrubs and trees. Grow them in pots for seasonal displays and then plant them in the garden where they will give you winter interest for years to come.

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