Flood risks, feeding birds, Chinese artichokes and a giveaway

This week I look at the Environment Agency’s recent assessments for flood risk, how bird feeders can spread disease, and give away some Chinese artichokes

Welcome to this week’s post, free for all subscribers! And a warm hello to the many new readers who joined us this week. It's wonderful to have you here.

Flood risk assessment for England

The Environment Agency recently published its national assessment for flood and coastal erosion risk, the first update since 2018. The report highlights the growing flood risks across England, revealing that around 6.3 million properties are currently at risk from flooding caused by rivers, the sea, and surface water. This number is projected to rise to 8 million over the next 25 years due to climate change and urbanisation.

I have written about the lack of permeable surfaces in urban areas and surface water flooding, so I was particularly interested in the statistics for this type of flooding. The report states that currently 4.6 million properties in England are at risk from surface water flooding, with 1.1 million considered at high risk. Climate change could increase the number of high-risk properties by 66% between 2040 and 2060, meaning nearly 290,000 homes might experience flood depths of 30cm or more.

Despite being protected by the Thames Barrier, which helps prevent tidal surges etc., London is particularly vulnerable to surface water flooding due to the large area of impermeable surfaces. The report estimates states that:

“Over one quarter of properties in areas at high flood risk from surface water flooding are in London – nearly a third of a million. This is over 11 times as many properties as are in areas at high risk of flooding from rivers and the sea”.

Globally, the UK is not alone. In the U.S., more than one million homes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are at serious flood risk. The highly urbanised New York City has an estimated 72% of impervious surfaces, exemplifying the challenges of urban flood management.

This data underscores the urgent need for sustainable water management strategies to adapt to the realities of a changing climate.

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Chaffinches on a bird feeder with sunflowers (Credit Shutterstock)

A question about feeding birds

I recently came across a press release about the foods which are dangerous to birds, listing salted nuts, bread, dairy, chocolate, and cooked oatmeal - all understandable - but it also mentioned apple and pear pips. The PR said that these pips can be toxic to birds. But I see birds feed on fallen fruits all the time, so they must know to avoid the pips? Can anybody shed some light on this?

On a related note, how often do you clean your bird feeder? Regular cleaning and disinfecting, ideally every time you refill, is crucial to preventing the spread of diseases like Trichomonosis. This parasitic disease, caused by the protozoan Trichomonas gallinae, has significantly impacted bird populations, especially British greenfinches, whose numbers began declining rapidly in 2006. The greenfinch is now on the UK Red List. Its not just the UK, this disease is affecting species such as chaffinches, gold finches and even wood pigeons across Europe and beyond.

I became more aware of this issue after visiting the Finches Friends stand at the Garden Press Event last February. They showcased innovative feeders designed to minimize disease transmission. For more details about these feeders, you can find my report in the archives. Regular disinfecting is vital to safeguarding the health of the birds visiting your garden. There's an informative pdf on the British Trust for Ornithology website.

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Wrapping my banana plants

I have finally got around to wrapping my hardy bananas (Musa basjoo) to shield them from the winter chill. While they’re said to tolerate temperatures as low as -10°C, I didn’t want to risk it, especially as the plants are thriving and getting larger each year (and hopefully more resilient).

I’ve wrapped three of the four plants in straw, which is secured in place with chicken mesh. For the largest specimen, I’ve taken a slightly different approach: a lower ring of straw surrounds and insulates the offshoots, but I’ve left the main pseudostem unwrapped. I didn’t remove the leaves either. Not sure if it would be better to have removed them but then I am not wrapping.

I’m curious to see how it fares with the added protection of its position which is close to a stone wall and barn, which I hope will moderate the temperature and offer some natural insulation.

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Chinese artichokes

I’ve been harvesting Chinese artichokes or crosnes (Stachys affinis) from my perennial vegetable garden. These unassuming plants grow to about 50–60 cm tall, with mint-like leaves, square stems, and small pinkish flowers. I grow them for their tubers, which are small, knobbly, white. The smallest tubers remind me of chafer larvae with their fat white bodies! While a bit fiddly to clean, you can eat them raw, stir-fry them, or pickle them. They have a mild nutty flavour and crisp texture.

I grow my Chinese artichokes in sunny spots, often at the front of borders. They do spread, so I harvest some of the tubers in over winter to keep them in check and start new clumps.

Left: Clumps of Chinese artichokes in the kitchen garden of the Pig in the Forest. Right: the knobbly tubers

A thank you gift

I’m offering three lucky UK-based subscribers a handful of my crosnes for planting. They can be potted up and overwintered outside before planting in spring. Interested? Let me know in the comments (priority to paid subscribers), and I’ll contact the lucky subscribers for postal details. Please note: UK-only, excluding Northern Ireland due to restrictions.

Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄

The festive season is almost upon us. I am busy writing and publishing my Advent tips on Notes, but as Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday. there won’t be a weekly post next week. Instead, there will New Year Day’s edition to kick off the year with news of my plans for 2025.

Thank you so much for being part of my journey here on Substack! I hope you’ve enjoyed the posts and found them both informative and inspiring. Your support means so much, and I’d love to hear from you about any topics you’d like me to cover in the future.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to sharing more with you in 2025. See you then!

Happy gardening

Sally

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