Storm Abigail has been sweeping across the British Isles and while we weren’t at the centre of it here in Hampshire, we have had some strong winds.

Ifound the chucks huddled together in the nesting box behind their perches last night because they don’t like a draught when they are trying to sleep. More urgently there has been some damage to the cabbage cage that I constructed in the spring.  The central 5-way connector that supported the cross bars had shattered.

Fortunately the verticals were still upright and the roof was still attached. Of course any risk of cabbage white butterflies is over for this year – we have to continue netting the brassicas because of the pesky wood pigeons which we have in abundance.  More than once MLH has talked of getting an air rifle and I am not against roast pigeon breast in pancetta…  But until then the cabbage cage stays.

It was a very quick repair once we had ordered a new connector on the internet.  We also attached some guy ropes to try to minimise any rocking and popped some fluorescent tape on them to prevent us tripping over them!

Storm Abigail won’t be the last violent weather system we have this year – I hope there’s not too much more damage to the garden.