Weathering the storms

Well anything that lives outdoors, or has had to spend any length of time outdoors recently, has been tried and tested beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Enduring prolonged rainfall, gales, and erratic weather has been the order of the day - EVERY day, for as long as I can remember!

Seems an eternity.

Of course it hasn't really been that long, but when you experience something so intense, almost traumatic (and definitely traumatic for the more unfortunate amongst us), it is difficult to remember time before it.

I thought I'd been blown off my feet by the wind before but after attempting to walk my dog the other night I realise previous occasions had been merely a light breeze. Mother nature REALLY showed what she's capable of the other night.

Many I've talked to have observed the power of the sea (from afar I should say) at this turbulent time, around the beautiful Cornish coastline. You can't help but be in awe. Porthleven, which has succumbed to the harsh reality of these testing times, with broken harbour barriers, sunken boats and general destruction to its picture perfect quality, has provided one perfect exemplar.

Click on image to go to source.

Me. I've had a very lucky escape. Sad looking primrose pots (and a questionable looking chimney) are just about the extent of my troubles.

I always feel for those outdoor industries reliant on seasonal stability, and there's been a little more impact on a few of the local plant nurseries I hold dear here in Cornwall like Trevena Cross and Burncoose . Fallen trees, ripped polytunnels and power shortages have presented unfortunate but not sustaining challenges, and when you look at the seemingly impossible situations other people have been forced into, the mantra 'it could have been a lot worse' always rings true.

Thoughts are with everyone dealing with the aftermath of the destruction to date - as we brace ourselves for what's to come...

Happy (not so) New Year

A very belated Happy New Year! I suppose this post comes some weeks late...the year no longer feels 'new', and the ringing out of Auld Lang Syne is all but a distant memory.

As we return to the 'normal routine' and seek to be inspired by new challenges and experiences in 2014, I can't help but wonder what the year will bring - will it be very different from the last? Will I get stuck into something I haven't before or will I stand on the sidelines and let it play out before me?

One area I'm determined to get stuck into and have already gone some way to doing so is the garden. Preparations for the spring are in motion and plans afoot.

To date potting and deadheading primrose pots, power washing walls and steps and clearing and re-laying areas of gravel have taken priority. Amazing the work of a power hose - I'd completely forgotten what colour paving had been laid until it was revealed in a moment of great - if not wet - satisfaction.

When I start to think 'plants' will be when things start to get exciting... watch this space.