Oh the wind, the wind and the rain

It's a bit windy this evening.  Has been for most of the day.  Little gusts up to 70mph / 112kph.  Any plant above 6in / 15cm tall is being whipped into a frenzy unless protected by something taller.  It's an Atlantic gale, blowing straight up the South West facing corridor of gardens to the west of mine.  No trees or tall shrubs to get in the way until it hits the filter of my Phyllostachys nigra / Acca sellowiana.  They offer some protection, but not enough to prevent damage.  I've already had to take down all my hanging baskets and move some containers to a more sheltered location.

We expect gales down here.  They're a common autumn, winter, early spring occurrence.  But not in June, when everything is in full leaf to offer the maximum resistance.  So things break.  I'll probably have a fair bit of tidying up to do in the morning, the bananas will be shredded, and I may have to perform some emergency staking.  I may even photograph and report on the aftermath.

The landscapes of Devon and Cornwall is heavily influenced by the wind.  We may be in the mildest part of the UK but that's only of use to plants if they have shelter.  It's common to see hedgerow shrubs that look as though they've been sculpted, wind pruned by our prevailing westerlies.  The great gardens down here are in sheltered valleys; surrounded by extensive shelter belts - or planted up with species and varieties capable of resisting the salt laden gusts. I have non of those options.  No wonder my neighbours haven't planted anything taller than the height of their walls and fences.

And it's raining.  Horizontally.  The joys of early summer in Plymouth.