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1:34 PM 15th August 2022
nature

5 Tips For Protecting Your Garden In Thunderstorms

 
Following last week's heatwave, 31 flood warnings are now in place across the UK, with thunderstorms predicted to batter the nation this week.

Severe weather like this can be especially damaging to our gardens, and experts are advising people to take precautions.

With this in mind, Nick Drewe, homes and interior expert at WeThrift, has issued five top tips on how to stormproof your garden.

Protect your electrics

If you have outdoor lighting, heaters or even a powered jacuzzi, it’s most likely that you spent a substantial amount of money on your outdoor electrical equipment.

That said, prior to the storm, ensure that these are switched off from the plug and turned off to avoid potential damage and (more importantly) electrocution.

Move your wheelie bins and any loose items

When it comes to vulnerable items in your garden during the event of a storm, your wheelie bin is definitely one to protect and store away. When blown away, they could damage windows or cars nearby.

The same applies for any loose items in your garden, from deckchairs to kids toys.

Park your car in a garage - or protect it

Speaking of cars, make sure your vehicle is parked away in a garage. If you don’t have a garage, a trick is to cover your vehicle with padding and then a plastic sheet or waterproof tarp. As well as this, make sure your vehicle is not parked by or under a tree.

Protect your plants

If you have any outdoor potted plants lying around, make sure that these are stored away before the weather gets severe.

If you don’t want to store these inside, protect the pots with bubble wrap to prevent them from getting damaged or broken. However, there is a chance that the bubble wrap could dry out the soil. That said, make sure your plants are well hydrated prior to putting the bubble wrap on.

When it comes to your taller outdoor plants, it’s important to note that heavy rain could cause heavy damage to these and even cause them to snap.

A key trick to preventing this is to push a wooden or metal support into the ground and tie your tall plant to it. This will provide your plant with a safety net amidst the wind.

Use a wind break

Even though your fencing will protect your garden, it’s always worth going the extra mile to guard this area by using a wind break. It’s especially important to use wind breaks if your fencing is weak.

Wind breaks can be strategically placed in specific ‘weak spots’ of your garden, such as your vegetable patch or pond. You could also purchase netting to protect certain areas of your garden.

https://www.wethrift.com/tag/united-kingdom