If you live in the Western Cape and think this year has been particularly wet , you ’ d be right . 2023 had more rain had leading up to the winter solstice than any year since 1976 , with the month of March recording the most water on Table Mountain since 1893 . And the rain is not predicted to let up any time soon , so if your garden is flooded or threatening to turn into a marsh , take action when there is a gap in the rainfall to try to minimise the damage as much as possible .
This might mean donning your gumboots , getting a few tools out and getting your hands dirty , but it will be worth it !
Preparing the beds
Before the rainstorm , remove any dead shoots and limbs from
Cover bare dirt with plenty of gravel or building stone . It ’ s a relatively inexpensive way to prevent erosion , improve drainage and prevent slipping .
your plants to reduce the risk of snapping and tangling . Weeds should be fairly easy to pull out if the soil is nice and soft from all the water , so it ’ s a good time to do some serious weeding . Just remember to remove the weeds as they will re-root if left to be rained on again . While you ’ re in the beds , make sure there are no exposed roots from soil erosion created by the previous rains . If so , re-cover the roots and add some compost while you are at it .