Such weather!

After a promising start to the the day yesterday I ended up in a garden sandwiched between the backs of buildings in a rather effective wind tunnel, it's a real lesson in patience trying to garden in heavy wind. Luckily it wasn't a big garden but it took no time at all for my piles of weeds, pruning and general garden detritus to be send dancing around the yard and swirling happily about my feet.
Having in the past seen people trying to sweep up leaves in the wind (a futile task but fun to watch) I knew better than trying to maintain too much organisation to my work but it didn't half make the task of clearing up a hectic one.

After a night listening to the blind crash back and forth as the wind picks up and howls its way through every open window I'm aware of a blustery day ahead and my thoughts wonder to what sights will greet me when I get to work.
Rain has also been introduced into the days rota now, so the lawns are out and with the Liquidamber and Birch already starting to show its Autumnal colours I'm sure the garden will be full of leaves and more than the occasional discarded branch. So with the wind at crazy madness level and the rain setting into it's horizontal driving habit I'm expecting a windswept sodden squelchy day ahead.

All this you might think will make for a miserable day outside but in fact I rather enjoy it. You see over the years I've discovered a little secret to working out in all weathers; it really is very simple though at the same time rather hard to actually do. The trick is to enjoy all the different aspects of the weather regardless of what it is doing, we really are lucky to have such a varied climate though we may not always realise it, I for one still come home grumbling about it some days.
Now for most people an ideal gardening day would be lit by calm blue skies and plenty of sun, however having spent three weeks in Malaysia where that's about all they have I can tell you that that quite quickly becomes dull and tiresome. Too much of a good thing soon makes one realise it's not that good a thing and you start to long for a bit of grey sky or rain to moisten the air.

I know I'll most likely get home after work, soaked and wind blown but at the same time feeling better for it. There's nothing quite like strong wind and rain to make one feel alive and the same works for the garden, without the heavy driving rain the moisture doesn't penetrate deeply enough into the ground, the wind helps clear rotten wood from the trees and stir up bugs from the leaf litter.
The garden feels energised after such weathered days as do I, you're aware that the body has had to work harder than usual to keep warm, the skin is flushed with blood brought to the surface and you feel like you've had the cobwebs well and truly blown away.
This is where the secret comes into it's own, all weather is ultimately enjoyable and is what makes us, us and our gardens grow the way they do, after a while you come to realise that the only bad weather is repetitive weather, the same thing day after day after day.

So go on, get outside in all climes and experience the beauty and fun of the Great British weather...

...oh and the other part to the secret is to have a hot shower and cuppa waiting for you back home.