Let’s get straight to the point. Last Sunday a sudden and un-named storm hit the garden. The sky darkened, lightning flashed, thunder roared, rain stormed and winds swirled. It was impressive. We watched with amazement and then closed the curtains and settled down. The next morning disaster was revealed. Several large branches had been ripped from our neighbour’s tulip tree, some 20 metres away, and had been hurled into our garden. One was a direct hit on the greenhouse. Yes, the same greenhouse that only last week had been repaired. The newly rehung door stood smugly in place looking onto a scene of devastation. One branch of the tree was hanging on through the roof and back of the greenhouse. Large pieces of glass and tiny diamond like shards were scattered inside the greenhouse and outside throughout the gooseberry patch. Another large branch had just missed a young apple tree and the recently planted miscanthus. Miraculously it had only flattened some phlox which I am sure will survive. Clearing up the debris of the branches was relatively straight forward, although there are still four or five smaller limbs to deal with. The glass is another matter. What a pane it is! (Pun intended.) The frame has been distorted beyond repair. Project new greenhouse is back in play. Of course a slide show of the scene is number one of this week’s six.
One
The offending tulip tree is a rather striking tree. It is probably at full height and at this time of year is a glorious golden colour, a fabulous tree to be able to borrow. Locally the storm has been described as a mini tornado so I am hoping that this is a freak accident. For a brief moment I considered no greenhouse, then a polytunnel or a small tomato greenhouse but today I’m coming down on the side of a new greenhouse.
Two
In other news, the fig tree is delivering its second crop figs and this year it is quite a good second crop.
Three
I’ve tried a few times to grow nerines. You would think it would be simple. Buy bulbs, plant them and wait. Maybe the squirrels have them. Last year I planted a few in a pot so I could keep an eye on them. It sort of worked. I have one lovely flower.
Four
Honestly, I am not a dahlia fan but you could be deceived into thinking I was. I do like these. They are last year’s cacti dahlia, grown from seed and left in the ground to overwinter. They are looking pretty good now after a slow start in the dry summer.
Five
Six On Saturday is a great discipline for paying close attention to the garden. Without it I don’t think I would have really noticed the delicate white flowers of the ‘Hawkshead’ fuchsia. It’s a new addition and is currently nestling in amongst agapanthus leaves, almost hidden from view. There’s a few years to go before it achieves it’s final height of about a metre, then it should be a good focal point in the border.
Six
The roses are still blooming. I was thinking about their longevity and I put some of that down to the two feeds a year that I give them. One in March and the second sometime in July when the first flush is over. This one, which I may have featured already this autumn, is ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. Forgive me, it was such a wonderful red colour I couldn’t not include it again.
Jim of Garden Ruminations is collecting the SOS gang together and sharing the first of his wonderful camellias this week. I will be back to picking up glass, gathering leaves and wondering where to store the scented leaf pellies until the new greenhouse is installed. The smaller potting greenhouse could be very crowded this year.
n20gardener 
Oh dear, at least no-one was inside when the branches fell. Can you claim on insurance? Perhaps it’s an opportunity to move things around and maybe place your new greenhouse elsewhere if you have the room. Can you suspend your pelargoniums from the shed room in empty hanging baskets?
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My brain is full of what ifs at the moment but I think the gh is probably in the best place. More thinking to be done!
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The last photo of the greenhouse, cleared of tree branches, unfortunately really shows the irreversible damage…
I’m happy to enjoy the second harvest of figs here too. On the other hand, the tree is already bare, the yellow leaves have fallen and only the fruit remains, which continues to ripen quietly… I hope for a little longer
Nice result this dahlia grown from seeds!
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GH coming down next week. I will have to get the new one sorted out soon. I have a few leaves left on the fig tree but I think they will be gone by the end of the week.
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Is the fate of the greenhouse covered by insurance? Either yours or the neighbour’s? Just a thought. Picking out the glass will be annoying. I’m interested to see which greenhouse you go for. The figs look delicious.
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Sadly it is such an old gh that it’s not worth claiming. But our insurance does cover outbuildings. I’m thinking about special gh insurance for the new one.
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What a pity re the greenhouse, hope it won’t cost a small fortune to replace! Insurance covers it maybe? I have Tess too but mine has not deigned to flower a second time.
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The GH is so old that it is really a write off. Outbuildings are covered in our insurance but just not worth the claim.
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That must have been such a shock to see your greenhouse. I’ve found Nerines near impossible to grow so have admitted defeat. Tess looks like crumpled silk.
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I was amazed that we didn’t hear the tree hit the glass! But the wind was howling. I wonder why nerines are tricky…
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Oh what a shame after mending it just last week. Those figs do look good, I was admiring a fig tree at a nursery this afternoon.
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That bit was painful, literally mended it on Friday lost it on Sunday! If you do go for a fig tree keep it in check! Mine, which I inherited, is a monster.
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Oh, no! Do be careful when picking up the glass, and remember that little pieces will be found for months. On a more positive note, the rose, the fuchsia and the dahlia are each gorgeous in their own way.
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I’ve just ordered some fine mesh garden sieves!! That will be fun.
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Sorry to hear your greenhouse was hit by a falling branch. I hope you manage to sort a replacement. We lost one in a storm earlier this year, but it wasn’t a standard size and we couldn’t find a replacement that would sit on the existing base. The rose is so lovely it deserves multiple appearances in SoS.
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Yes, seeing if the new one I have in mind will sit on the existing base is the next dilemma. The old one comes down next week so I will be able to take a closer look and check viability of the foundations. My winter project!
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Oh, that is such a nice greenhouse too. Glass houses are rare nowadays.
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It was a very old one, long before my time in this garden. C’est la vie!
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I was very surprised when I considered extending one of our greenhouses that after 20 years they (Elite) still made the same model and would supply an extension kit. If you know what make and model it is, repairing it may be an option.
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I’ve hunted for a label or imprint but haven’t found one yet. We did think if only we could unscrew the back. I’ll double check again though.
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~that’s sad news re your greenhouse! Sounds like quite a storm. Are you insured?
I am so jealous of your black figs. I’m now on my seventh fig tree. They refuse to grow … yet they grow in the wild.
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GH is so old that it’s not worth a claim. Amazing that the fig trees won’t take for you. I wonder why….
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