Homeowners who are proud of their garden have a tough time keeping their plants and flowers protected during the winter months, but this week could prove to be especially challenging as much of the UK is set to experience extremely strong gales.
Indeed, the Isle of Wight has already faced winds with speeds of 79mph, and the Met Office has issued yellow warnings for wind and rain until Saturday at 18:00 for many areas of Britain.
If you want to keep your shrubs as protected as possible while gale-force winds hit your area and heavy rains batter down, it is important to shelter them as much as possible.
Writing in The Telegraph, gardening expert Elspeth Thompson advised readers to create a windbreak out of open fences, hedges, or even mounds of earth.
She said: “When wind hits a solid barrier, such as a brick wall, it tends to deflect upwards only to descend with greater turbulence.” Therefore, having open windbreaks is preferable, as this decreases the force of the wind.
While this could be too late for this weekend’s predicted weather, Ms Thompson suggested planting bamboos and ornamental grasses in your garden. Not only do they withstand very strong winds but “look at their most beautiful and exciting while being whipped about”.
This may be something you ask your gardeners in north London to plant for next winter. However, for this weekend, you could create a coconut fibre blanket that sits over your shrubs and keeps them safe from the gusts.
Home Guides recommended the row cover material, which can be secured with cement blocks, large rocks or bags of sand, as it also helps protects florae from frosty weather too.