We thought it would be helpful to write a few tips about how to look after your garden in stormy weather.  It can be soul-destroying to see your beautiful garden battered by high winds and heavy rainfall. We’ve put together a few tips to help look after your garden in stormy weather. We have tips for before the storm (if you’re lucky enough to be able to prepare for such an event) and after the storm.

Before the Storm

1. Put all garden furniture in a shed, outbuilding or garage. Make sure decorative items such as wind chimes and bird feeders, as well as bins etc are put in a secure place. If you don’t have a place to put outdoor items then opt for a sheltered area such as the side of the house.
2. Make sure you store away your outdoor furniture cushions.  This is always recommended during autumn/winter months. This will protect them from saturation and mould and mildew occurring.
3. If you leave your outdoor furniture frames outside, we recommend a furniture cover for outdoor furniture frames to protect from the harsh weather. Daro weather covers come complete with velcro straps. This ensures the cover can be fastened securely around the furniture.
4. Our Verde furniture range consists of an aluminium powder coated frame. It can be left outside all year round.
5. Bring pot plants and hanging baskets indoors. Alternatively,  move them into sheltered spots or up against the house. Consider weighting them down with a heavy brick or stone. This will stop them toppling. Wrap fragile pots with some cushioning to prevent them breaking if they do topple over.
6. Check your drains and guttering for leaves and clear them. Too many leaves could cause your patio to flood.
7. Check your trees for loose branches and remove them before the wind does!
8. Protect new seeds and plants by covering them with some strong plastic covering such as a row cover that is secured well to the ground using stakes.
9. For plants that look vulnerable lay some extra soil to the base and help protect the roots.

After the Storm

1. Once the storm is over, take a look at the damage and start the clean-up. It makes sense to wait until the soil has dried out first and then you can see what needs doing. If one of your plants looks like it has taken a bit of a battering and seems unlikely to recover,  see if you can take a cutting from one of the healthier looking stems. Hopefully you will be able to grow it again.
2. Give it a week after the storm before you launch into a big pruning exercise. After a week it will be easier to see which plants are the most damaged. Then you can cut away the dead material. Some of your plants might need propping up by stakes or cane to make them stable again. You will probably have to lay some more soil on plants where roots have become exposed.
3. Turn your soil after a good downpour to introduce moisture back into your compost.
4. Check your trees again and make sure that any branches that have become damaged are removed.
5. Consider creating natural wind breaks in your garden. Planting hedges and large shrubs can help to slow high winds and reduce turbulence around the garden. Creating natural barriers also supports wildlife.

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