Stormy weather!

I have my first my first 'Tete a tete' daffodils of the year - hurrah! They are drenched and blown but battling on. It took me quite a while to get these shots because they were being blown around so much the camera wouldn't focus!

Wet and ragged, they are still brightening up my back door approach bravely.

As storms batter this part of the country again and the South West is allegedly cut off from the rest of the country (the roads and flights are fine by the way, it's just the trains), we remain hunkered down looking out a garden that has not seen any care and attention to speak of since Christmas.

The clearing and sorting is mounting up and the ground is sodden. Thankfully we haven't been flooded (one benefit of a house and garden on the side of a hill), but my specially planned drought resistant courtyard garden is looking confused at best! 

The wind directions so far haven't put any of our larger trees at risk either, although as the winds howl outside once more I don't want to speak too soon. So the impact has been quite moderate with us in comparison to some people.

We did have one moment of excitement last Tuesday early evening, during the first super storm (I think - or it may have been the second - I've lost track!), when a neighbours' conifer came down across the road outside. It was swiftly followed by another (whilst the teens and I were watching - according to them it almost hit them, they do love a drama!) 

Then within the hour another, larger conifer fell on the other side of us which closed the road completely. So we were marooned between fallen trees for a few hours and spent the evening listening to the whine of chainsaws. One benefit of living on the main road into Truro is that the road gets cleared pretty quickly! 

The neighbour who lost the 2 conifers has had to fell 2 more since. Now I'm not a particular fan of conifers and they weren't particularly interesting specimens, but it's never good to loose trees in town and the sound of the chipper is becoming monotonous!

The variagaries of the weather are part of makes gardening challenging and exciting, but this is becoming a bit wearing and frankly I could with a bit of a break from the excitement just so I can get some things done!