SUBMARINE OR SWIMMING PLANTS!!!
By spritzhenry
9 comments
Well, fingers crossed had absolutely NO effect on the weather, unfortunately. I had heard the rain in the night, and went straight out after breakfast with my mac on…yes, it was still pouring. This is the sight that met my eyes.
Not a very happy start to the day, but at least I could still see the top leaves of some of my new plants. Neighbours from down the lane called round to help fix the flood board to the doorway of the house next door and told us that the ford and lane were flooded. I looked over our stream wall and saw that the stream had burst its banks – the lowest level of our lawn was under water.
The paper didn’t arrive, nor did the postman. Well, they couldn’t exactly drive through the ford, could they? Or drive up any of the lanes to the village, come to that!
Our lane was indeed well and truly flooded! Henry was very puzzled as to why he couldn’t go for his walk – but all the lanes to the village were like this! The water came over the top of my wellies. Then I had another look over the wall above the bank. UH-OH! I see no plants? Where are they? And where have the wooden steps gone?
The water had been rising so fast – unbelievable! By now we were getting concerned for the house, let alone the stream bank. This is how near the top of the arch the water came by 12.30 p.m.
We were just putting our wellies back on to wade up the lane to see if everybody else around was OK, when back came our neighbours, who had been doing the same thing. What a surprise they had for me! They had discovered one of my Primula vialii down the lane (in the water) several hundred yards away! Big smiles all round!
I obviously don’t yet know the fate of all the other plants from the bank, but I strongly suspect that they have gone swimming off in the direction of Bristol. I suppose that it’s possible that some are submerged like a submarine, still anchored, but I am not hoping for too much. So when the water finally goes down (yes, it’s probable that more rain is on its way) I shall have to decide whether to have another go at planting – or to abandon the whole project and let the nettles and brambles take over….‘The village’ opinion on these floods is that it’s forty years since it was as bad. What would you do? I am not one to give up easily.
28 May, 2008
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Comments
wow! sounds like a real mess. Hope the "tide" turns soon, don't give up, cause it looks like it could be soooo beautiful when finished. Fingers crossed.
28 May, 2008
First time in forty years and it has to be the year you do all the work! Poor you. ... everyone has their weird weather stories this year! Really sorry to see all that water...hope your home was high and dry...(well high anyway!) with more rain on the way. My strange weather story has to do with rain too... we've had weeks of overcast, cold days...lots of fluffy rain clouds moving at mach speed...showers, showers showers, but never enough at one time...and the winds dry things out again...there are parts of my garden that are parched! but we've only seen the sun for a couple of days and our night temps are in the single digits (c) Like the old Chinese curse, we are living in interesting times.
Hope the water crests soon.
Lori
29 May, 2008
So sorry to see all that water Spritz. Hopefully you will still have some plants there when the water goes down. I say have one more go at it as it may not be this bad for another 40 years.
29 May, 2008
It must have been frightening to see the water rise like that. I hope it didn't get to the house. Maybe you'll find some plants still there when the level goes down. I would try again - it would be a shame to let brambles and nettles win the day.
29 May, 2008
I hope you persevere with the project.Perhaps you could try putting down some sort of wire mesh and grow the plants through it.Then the plants get a chance to put decent roots down,flood or no flood.Anyway if gardening was so easy it wouldn't be half so satisfying.
29 May, 2008
Very good advice, Mcmneil...like making a fern cobble.
29 May, 2008
There is something lovely about seeing the water rise and realising that even during the worst weather it is only destroying your plants and not your carpets - scary though how fast it rises.
14 Apr, 2010
It certainly is, Sarah - VERY!! Luckily, it goes back down very quickly.
14 Apr, 2010
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aw spritz, after all your hard work. sorry all our finger crossing didnt work, you cant beat mother nature i guess. but i will keep them crossed that at least some of your plants will still be there when the water level drops.
28 May, 2008