As the saying goes, I learn something new every day. Today I learned that whilst my conservatory roof is leaking, it is not leaking quite as much as I started to fear.
It is the time of year when I am starting to move plants into the Conservatory to avoid the cold nights. I am about two weeks earlier than last year apparently, which I am going to suggest is not because for the last two years that the nights have been colder, but that I am more on the ball on bringing the plants indoors. This is partly because I now have even more tender plants and ones that I really want to keep alive; in particular the begonias and the ever increasing succulent collection. I let the begonias get too cold earlier this year by putting them out to early and some have only just really recovered, so bringing them before the threatened 2 deg C. arrived last week seemed wise. The bananas vary in their tenderness and the Ensete maurelii is one I fret about particularly as I don't like it to sit outdoors below 4 deg C. I also have a Musa lasiocarpa, bought some years ago from the Woburn Garden Show, that has got too cold in previous Winters and a Musa sikkimensis that is a more recent purchase. I decided all three need coddling this year so in they came. The Musa basjoo are still outside for now, when it gets a bit colder they will come under cover. Anyway, this is a long-winded intro to what happened next.
It keeps raining, it feels like it has kept raining all year which in many ways has been good as we have not had a drought here for the first time in several summers. A few more warmer days would have been nice but you can't have everything. The bananas came indoors at the weekend and it rained. The next day I looked at how they were doing and they were splashed with water. I looked up at the Conservatory roof thinking 'damn it', it is leaking more than I thought. It has always leaked where it joins the wall of the house, but mid-roof is something new. I swore softly and decided to keep an eye on it. I also thought some extra rain on the bananas will probably make them happy too (silver lining and all that.)
A day or so passes and I have had to rearrange the Conservatory a bit so I am manourve through it to water plants. I noticed that the Musa lasiocarpa had rain drops on it. Now this was odd as we had not actually had any rain. I looked over at the sikkimensis and that too was dripped on but I had moved it so it could not be the same leak. I am then looking at the roof like Chicken Lickin thinking the sky is falling on her head. I cannot see anything obviously looking drippy.
Then I pause for a moment - do bananas weep like Monstera plants? I thought, do they also have guttation? So I looked it up and yes, thankfully they do. I say thankfully as it means my roof is more robust than I feared.
I whisper to the bananas "don't weep, you'll be safe indoors until the Spring." and go and make a mug of tea. All will be well.....
.... hopefully!
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