Round the World (65)

in 200 Days

ROUND THE WORLD

65 - THE FLOOD, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND - 8 June 2025

In early April 2024 the highest surge tide combined with storm force winds caused substantial seawater flooding across the Needsore gardens and the fields beyond.

The last time this occurred was in the mid 1980’s.

Salt water and a majority of plants do not make happy bed fellows. In consequence, most of the plants which found themselves under seawater and then sitting with their roots in salt-laden soil struggled to survive and then died.

The images below show how our garden looked in the year before the flood.

During the late summer of 2024, post the flood, we gave the tall curved hedges a major prune - they’d become much taller and broader than are appropriate for so small a garden.

Then, at the end of October 2024, we started the post flood repair in earnest.

Nature has a wondrous ability to self-repair; this combined with extensive replanting in April 2025. By the time we left Needsore mid June 2025 our garden was starting to look much happier again.

From the great architect Frank Lloyd Wright: ‘Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.’

© Text and Images Derek Frost 2025