After The Gale

The howling winds have abated now that battered the garden for two days. Gusts of up to seventy miles an hour wreaked havoc in Yorkshire blowing roofs off, and trees down.
My bird table was blown over and the fence on the right was broken. The panel got blown out. Next week the neighbour is going to replace the right hand fence panels. We will pay for half of the fence..
The clay pot with the leaf has some bulbs that were present in the sunken border when we moved in. I wander if they are Crocuses? They were placed in a pot and were growing away under a Hebe plant. I repotted them and they have started to grow away..
The Mexican frog pot has been damaged by the freezing weather in December/January. His back paint has started to fall off. I think that he expanded during the cold splitting the lacquer paint finish.
I bought him from the Autumn Flower Show from a vendor that sells these Mexican inspired designs.
The rain that followed the gale forced winds has made it impossible to get to the allotment. After my night shift tonight I hope to get down Tuesday.
I have been reading a book called "Fifty Plants That Changed The World". Its a short guide to fifty of the most influential plants that have been grown over time. Plants have been used by mankind for thousands of years. Its an interesting book to read when the weather is too inclement to get outside..

Mouse without a trowel

This is the mouse away from the trowel! It will be used daily on the gardens blog, and replying to the emails. I'm waiting for a gardening book to be sent from a book publisher who emailed me, so I can review their book on here. The Snappy Gardeners first book review coming soon I hope. Just waiting for the postman....
Last year the Garden blogs became all literary. As winter cold took hold, and the dark nights closed in garden bloggers began to read garden books. Then post reviews of books both classic, old, and new.
As gardeners move from the garden into the computer chair, they can read books, seed and plant brochures, and relive highlights for the past year with their best or favourite photos. The amount of daily visitors here has slowed down from the heady days of summer, with sweet smelling flowers and buzzing bee's. I will be here blogging almost daily with plants, flowers, storys, photos galore, and books to remind us of spring and summer.
My trowel is in the canvas bag waiting for the go ahead to move. I have garden tools stored in Hils garage. I hope to be renovating the overgrown garden over the winter, and blogging my progress.
I have some brochures to read now. The Suttons flower catalogue, and the Marshalls kitchen garden catalogue. There is something comforting in a gardener reading brochures, making mental notes of what can grow where. How next year all your garden will grow beautifully and productively. Weather, pests, and soil problems are blown away on the dreams of a more beautiful garden. Lists are written, prices added up. I write wishlists, and work out how much i can really afford, then cross off the excess items!
The photos are pristine flowers, and vegetables, airbrushed to perfection. These perfect specimins are our inspiration during cold, dark nights. They are predicting a very cold winter here after a few mild years.
How do garden bloggers prepare for winter?