If you’ve been busily googling ‘how to rescue your garden from storm damage’ this week, you’re not alone; countless homes across the UK have been battered by strong winds and heavy rain recently, and the bad weather shows no sign of abating.
Prevention is always essential to protect your garden from bad weather. However, even if you did everything you could to protect your potted plants from heavy rain and minimise storm damage to your home and garden, you can still be faced with some post-storm clean-up jobs.
‘Storms can cause a great deal of havoc, but with a bit of preparation and attention to detail, gardeners can minimise the impact and get their spaces back in shape quickly,’ promises Steven Bell of Ethan Mason Paving.
After you’ve removed fallen branches, leaves, and other debris to prevent further damage, then, be sure to do the following…
1. Assess and secure structures before a storm hits
Whether you’re taking advice from the Scouts or The Lion King‘s Scar, the best way to rescue your garden from storm damage is to (ahem) be prepared.
‘The first step to preventing storm damage is ensuring that any garden structures –such as trellises, greenhouses, sheds, and fences – are stable and secure,’ says Steven.
‘High winds can easily topple these, causing extensive damage to plants and creating unnecessary debris, so check that fences are firmly anchored, and any loose or wobbly garden furniture or structures are properly secured.’
It’s also a good time to inspect greenhouse windows and panels, as these can often crack or shatter under strong gusts.
‘If a storm is approaching, consider temporarily tying back or removing any climbing plants on trellises or archways with something like this Reusable Weatherproof Long Thick Green Rubberised Wire from Amazon. This prevents them from being torn down during high winds,’ adds Steven.
2. Improve soil drainage and aeration
Rescuing your garden from storm damage will likely involve dealing with flooded garden beds and lawns.
As such, Christopher O’Donoghue – one of the co-directors at Gardens Revived – says that you should take care to avoid stepping on wet soil too much (it causes compaction) and arm yourself with something like this RHS Stainless Steel Border Fork from John Lewis.
‘If the soil is waterlogged, use a garden fork to aerate the lawn and help excess moisture drain,’ he says.
Christopher adds that you should also consider adding some rich organic matter, like compost, to replenish lost nutrients, and avoid heavy watering until the soil has had time to recover naturally.
‘It’s also a good time to think about other ways you can improve lawn drainage going forward,’ he says. ‘Something like scarifying your lawn or adding a French drain could prove hugely beneficial later.’
Steven suggests ‘installing raised beds in areas prone to excess water, as they allow the roots to stay drier’.
3. Set up a regular pruning schedule
After a storm hits, you should, of course, check for broken tree limbs that could pose a hazard and trim them carefully. Once again, though, the best defence is a good offense when it comes to rescuing your garden from storm damage, so make sure you know when to cut back shrubs.
‘It’s essential to regularly check trees for any dead, damaged, or weak branches, as these are much more likely to snap in a storm and cause harm to the plant or surrounding areas,’ says Steven.
Noting that this job also ensures that the tree’s canopy reduces wind resistance, Steven adds a word of caution.
‘You should always avoid heavy pruning just before or during storm season. Early spring or late autumn is usually the best time for this type of work,’ he says.
3. Assess and support damaged plants
If your garden is looking a little woebegone after a bout of bad weather, Christopher advises you get outside and start inspecting all of your plants for snapped stems, broken branches, or uprooted roots.
‘Gently stake any leaning, uprooted, or very wobbly plants to help stabilise them and get them growing strong again,’ he says. ‘Don’t forget to prune damaged stems – always with a very clean pair of sharp secateurs – to encourage healthy regrowth, too!’
Steven also urges gardeners to, if they find any plants have been knocked over or damaged, take care to lift them as quickly as possible.
‘This will prevent them from getting waterlogged or suffering from broken stems.’
4. Protect vulnerable plants
As well as taking steps to rescue your garden from storm damage, it’s worth bringing some plants indoors or undercover before the bad weather hits.
And, for plants that are more susceptible to wind or heavy rain, consider using temporary windbreaks or plant covers, too.
‘A simple, effective option could be using garden fleece, mesh netting, or even tall shrubs or fences to shield more fragile plants,’ says Steven.
‘For particularly delicate specimens, you can create makeshift shelters or cages to protect them from being flattened,’ he adds.
5. Revive the lawn and beds
Finally, but by no means least, take care to show your lawn and flower beds some serious TLC after a storm hits.
‘You’ll want to rake up dead grass and leaves to prevent fungal diseases, overseed any bare patches on the lawn to encourage new growth, and mulch around plants to protect roots and retain moisture,’ advises Christopher.
FAQs
What soaks up water in a garden?
If your garden has been hit by heavy rainfall, you’ll want to soak up water – fast! To do this, try aerating, raking, and mulching, as well as installing some new drainage systems, too (French drains are perfectly suited to this job).
As a preventative measure for next time, it might also be a good idea to regrade your lawn to ensure the water runs away correctly, and be sure to practice regular lawn maintenance if you want to prevent waterlogging in the future: this looks like proper mowing, fertilising, and watering techniques.
How do you shield a garden from wind?
If you want to shield a garden from wind, you could consider installing some windbreaks to provide extra shelter. According to the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), these could take the form of ‘a hedge, fence, single or double row of trees’, so brush up on the best hedging plants, stat!
If you do opt for hedging or trees, though, just be sure to keep up with regular pruning and maintenance, as this will ensure they stay strong and steady when the wind blows.
Now that you know how to rescue your garden from storm damage, it’s time to set to work. And don’t forget to explore some of our favourite coastal garden ideas if you are serious about creating a storm-resilient outdoor space, too.
They are, after all, designed to withstand everything from windy conditions to full sun and heavy rain, so they’re perfectly suited for the UK’s ever-shifting (and ever-fluctuating) weather conditions.
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