The same could be said for plants - increasing transpiration, and knocking flowers, fruit and foliage about.
One way to help reduce this impact is to create a windbreak.
The job of a windbreak is not to stop the wind, but rather to slow it down and reduce its strength.
When the wind hits a solid barrier such as a brick wall, it drives the air up and over - creating an eddy on the other side - a windbreak must therefore be semi-permeable to filter the air.
Living windbreaks can take on many forms and should be in scale with the landscape - poplars along a farm fence line, or a mixed border in an urban garden.
By planting layers of shrubs and small trees along your boundary, you will gain many advantages aside from shelter and a diverse selection of leaf colour, textures, fruit and flowers.
There will be less wind chill factor in your garden, glasshouse and home, saving heating costs and creating a warmer environment for more delicate plants.
Wind is very drying, and a wind break will mean that transpiration is reduced in your plants, and less water is lost through evaporation from the soil.
Other benefits include a reduction in unwanted sounds, smells and sights; a habitat for birds and insects; and if you live by the sea, a decrease in salt spray. You’ll also potentially have much neater hair!
- Robyn Abernethy: Rock, water and alpine collection curator
