Here's a photo of Montmartre I grew a few years back and posted at Dave's Garden website.

Oh goody, I just planted that one from Mid-America!!! for all the input!

Liz - it is one of my best bloomers. Really stands out in the garden too.

Dachsylady86 said:Oh goody, I just planted that one from Mid-America!!! for all the input!

I think you planted on of everything if I'm not mistaken????

Touche Tom

Liz I see you have not lost power because of the tornado. Glad that you are ok.

Thanks so much Lucy! The tornado touched down 1/2 mile from my house and thankfully did not damage any of my trees or power lines near my house. I got an emergency alert on my phone at 3 am about the tornado warning so I had to wake up my son and go down into the cellar for 45 minutes until it passed. We could hear how loud it was, scary stuff!

So glad you are okay. Tornadoes are scary.

Leslie !

1/2 mile away! I would have fertilized myself!

Glad you and your family are ok!

UndertheSun said:1/2 mile away! I would have fertilized myself!

Glad you and your family are ok!

"Ditto" !!!

Haha Rob you always crack me up! I'm not gonna lie, I was freaking out about the tornado yanking out my irises!!!

As I was reading this I was thinking about hundreds of irises being scattered for miles. But it sounds like they didn't get pulled up by the wind. I'm glad, and glad your safe. I don't like tornadoes.

UndertheSun said:1/2 mile away! I would have fertilized myself!

Glad you and your family are ok!

My sentiments exactly! Hey, we're not supposed to have those here in the top right hand corner of the USA! I grew up in California and was used to earthquake preparedness. The thought of a tornado turns me into a blithering bowl of jelly. So glad you are OK, Liz!

Thanks everyone! It was definitely surprising for this part of the country, and it occurred at night which is really uncommon.

If you do a search on Internet "tornados in CA" you will find that we get them. It's uncommon, but it does happen and they do not do the damage that occurs back east. When I worked in LA I remember seeing a picture of a car type trailer on top of a garage/house after a tornado.

I grew up in Michigan and the Midwest always had tornado drills during grade school. It is suppose to prepare you, but it really leaves you with a lifelong fear of them. When the one was outside my house a couple years ago it took quite awhile to calm my heart down afterwards. And yes, they do sound like a freight train and yes, they are loud. And you know when they are gone because the sound just disappears. Being inland with a hurricane, the tornadoes it produces are the scariest part. Then it is so loud anyway that you can't hear the tornado coming. It is a tie as to which I hate worse.

Dachsylady86 said:Thanks everyone! It was definitely surprising for this part of the country, and it occurred at night which is really uncommon.

Actually -- night-time tornadoes are the rule, rather than the exception. There's something about the cool-down in temps that helps create them. Not a scientific explanation -- I know -- sorry. The one tornado that I've experienced came at night -- had to wait until dawn to see that we lost trees, etc. I hate that about tornadoes -- because you can't see them coming...............

Oh then I guess what I read is that they were uncommon at night in MA. The last one was 60 years ago.

I'll take an earthquake any time!