Don’t Forget Plants During Storm Prep
Hurricane Irene has been the talk of the town this week as forecasters track her path and coastal residents buy extra water and flashlight batteries. But don’t forget about your outdoor gardens and plants, which can be damaged in any high wind conditions.
So, here are some tips to get your outdoors hurricane-ready.
– Take your pool umbrellas down. At the very least, close them up and tie them shut. Wind will not bother them much at this point.
– Any loose trays or pots in your potting shed area need to be brought inside a shed or put under a crawl space. These will be the first to go flying.
– Remove all planted containers near any water areas in your yard. Jim Martin, our executive director who has an extensive home garden, says he nestles such containers into shrub and tree beds, turning them onto their side. At ground level they will be safe.
– Take plastic and shade cloth off the greenhouses. Make sure the trays and plants in the greenhouse are moved to ground level. Better to move items to the corners and outside areas inside the greenhouse as there is more protection there than in the center of the house.
– Don’t forget to bring in the gazing balls. These art objects can end up being projectiles.
– Gather up pruning tools and keep them in a safe area. These might come in handy when trying to clean up after the wind is gone.
– Take down all hanging baskets and place them up against the house.