Strong winds are likely this weekend and this could damage your patio plants or send them crashing down, causing damage to parts of your garden. The first nor’easter of the season could bring wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph in the worst-hit areas. It takes a lot less to send weak tree branches down and hanging flower baskets flying. However, a few minutes of prep could save them.

Start with the plants that have a lot of foliage but relatively small or lightweight containers. Bananas, elephant ears, cannas, mandevilla, hibiscus and other tropical plants can act like sails in strong wind.

Move containers into a garage, shed, basement, enclosed porch or another protected location if you have the space. For container plants that are too large to move, topple them over. Remove anything loose from the patio, including plant supports, empty pots, hanging baskets, garden decorations and lightweight furniture. Those objects can become projectiles in strong wind.

There is a big difference between a 40 mph gust and a 60 mph gust. Wind pressure increases approximately with the square of wind speed. That means a 50 mph gust is twice as strong as a 40 mph gust and will do a lot more damage.

At 40 mph, small branches can begin breaking. Wind gusts in the 55 mph range are classified as strong enough to uproot some trees.

There is no single tree species that automatically becomes the first to fall in a storm, but the most likely are trees with decay, cracks, dead branches, or a significant lean that deserve particular attention.

Some species are also more susceptible to storm damage. Silver maple is considered particularly susceptible, while black cherry, black locust, hackberry, honeylocust and American elm are among species identified by extension specialists as having greater susceptibility to storm damage.

Fast-growing, weak-wooded trees such as willow and ornamental pear, like Bradford pears, are also known for weak branch structures and a greater tendency toward wind damage.

Trees are not necessarily the enemy during a windstorm. A properly positioned, healthy tree can act as a natural windbreak. Trees and shrubs placed upwind of a garden can reduce wind speed in the area behind them, creating a more sheltered microclimate.

This weekend's storm is a good reminder to look at the bigger picture before we get deeper into nor'easter season. Walk around your property and look up. Check for dead branches, obvious cracks, broken limbs, cavities, leaning trees and places where multiple large trunks come together. Do not climb the tree or try to remove large branches yourself.

If you have a tree that concerns you, have a qualified arborist evaluate it before the next major storm arrives.