PLOT LINES

THE RECENT STORM FLORIS HAS GOT TIIM THINKING ABOUT WIND - GOOD AND BAD

- WITH TIM FOSTER

WEEK or so back, I went for a walk. It was one I've done a few times before, so all very familiar.

It involved strolling over some hills in West Wales. The difference this year was I did it in the middle of a storm called Floris. This was a summer storm which was far worse in the north of the country, but I can’t remember walking in anything like that before. The usual saying is ‘there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing’ Nonsense. My kit was pretty good but nothing would stop this. I had clothes in plastic bags inside a bin liner in a waterproof backpack with a cover on it: I think I am still drying them out.

The reason for this fairly dull start to a gardening column is that, as I slopped along, I had ample opportunity to contemplate air movement: not the gale-force version trying to upend me into a bog, but simply the effect of wind in the garden.