WIND IN THE WILLOWS

Blustery day

The strong winds recently did a fantastic job of getting all of the old dead twigs and branches from the trees. It also moved a few other things too. Whole trees were uprooted as the windiest winds since winds began tore through the peninsula. Which as a matter of interest was in 1839. It was on the 6-7th of January and called “The night of the Big Wind.” (Visitors to the famine museum in Doagh Island will of course have heard of when pensions were brought in and given to those who could remember the big wind, thus collecting their ‘windfall’.)

Friends of ours in Buncrana had to get their eighteen-foot trampoline from the roof of their house and loose tiles embedded themselves into the shiny paintwork of parked cars. A local estate agent put up lovely flags above their shop just a week before the gales. The material for their doomed advertising is probably somewhere down the Cockhill road wrapped around a lamppost. The poles that were left were bent like polytunnel frames.

Wind in the willows

Plants are not daft. The fact that deciduous ones lose their leaves in winter protects them from the gales. For example roses would be uprooted in high winds as they have a brittle root system.

Another reason shrubs drop their leaves is to get rid of toxins; this can be a great boon to us though, especially at a time when there are few flowers around. There are some dramatically coloured stems that are a welcome addition to the winter garden. Hazel, especially the corkscrew type, willows (Salix) and limes (Tilia) have their virtues but the most vibrant colours come from the Cornus family or dogwoods, as they are commonly known. The two most common are the alba (red) or the stolonifera (yellow). If these shrubs are cut right down to the ground every year in March, the resulting new growth lights up any sunny border and look great reflected on water.

Contrasting under planting will show off these dogwood stems. Hellebores stand out well and their vivid green hues look fantastic next to the brilliant red of the alba. Heathers, especially white or golden flowered varieties also make great choices for under planting.

Tunnel vision

Polythene tunnels are particularly vulnerable to the winds around Inishowen unless precautions are taken. It pays to keep the doors locked tightly. If the wind does get in, it can lift the tunnel up like a hot air balloon, or flatten the frames. I have heard some-one actually cut off the polythene in a gale to save the frame from being squashed. Good windbreaks are all important.

Photo: Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’ with their red stems are looking great at this time of year at John McDermotts


Jobs of the week

Joey Grant from the Sisters of Mercy Convent garden in Buncrana has been busy this week, pruning shrubs, trimming hedges and getting the convent grounds tidied up before the snowdrops and daffodils begin to flower. Joey has been maintaining the convent grounds for the last twenty years as well as doing gardening work around the town. At the moment Joey is working with Luke O’Sullivan. Luke, from Buncrana, is on a placement from Youthreach and is enjoying expanding his interest in gardening with practical work experience.

I asked Joey’s advice for a job of the week. He was more than happy to share his knowledge. “Now is a great time to be pruning roses back hard” he tells me, “Cut the stems back to an outward facing bud and clear out any dead wood to let the light and air into the centre of the plant.”

Photo: Joey and Luke are both keen gardeners.