Arlene, I was expecting things to look a lot worse! Not that it looks great, but it looks like most things survived, so at least there is that. Just the stress alone of not knowing what you would see when you got home would have done me in! Everything can be repaired, and you don't have to rebuilt, so I think you were very lucky! Thanks for the pictures!

Natalie said:Arlene, I was expecting things to look a lot worse! Not that it looks great, but it looks like most things survived, so at least there is that. Just the stress alone of not knowing what you would see when you got home would have done me in! Everything can be repaired, and you don't have to rebuilt, so I think you were very lucky! Thanks for the pictures!

Well, because most of you live up north and fall is well on its way, you look at the pics and see them as if they are your landscape. I understand that completely. However, like the big oak trees are native--they are evergreens down here and they never lose their leaves. The purple firespike also keeps its big green bushy presence year around. Usually all year the back yard is green with lovely color from the bromeliads and it is totally unlike what happens up north. This winter my backyard will truly look like "up north" because I don't expect the oaks to sprout out until the spring. The firespike is already sprouting and needs to be trimmed. This isn't going to be a good fall/winter for me but it could be substantially worse. I usually work out there from October to about May, the opposite of most parts of the country but that's when the weather is delightful down here. I'm drawing up plans now that the weather has cooled off and hope that I can improve the way it looks with some geraniums (do best here in the winter) and some annuals to provide color.

Thank you for the concern you have expressed. Thanks a lot! My feet as back on the ground and looking forward to a busy fall/winter/spring!

Arlene - I, too, find that my Winter here will be much different .... especially for the hummingbirds that over-winter in my yard. Their 2 favorite small trees are gone. More sun in my backyard now. The evolution of my backyard.

Toppled Cassia Tree:


Blown over arbor with climbing roses:


Missing Cape Honeysuckle tree that was previously in the corner of the fence where you see all the white fencing. You can see the huge mess everywhere!:

Gosh, I really hate to hear that the landscape has been changed so much for our friends in the southeast. It does leave one feeling sad at what has been lost.

I almost feel normal. I'm focusing on mydaylilies that will be sent to friends. So--out to the garden to let my hair dry and take an inventory. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh ........

Becky, I know the hummers will be back when you rebuilt their home, but this is just part of the problems of hurricanes. It's hard to go out and see exactly what 95 give or take mph will do to a garden. It ain't pretty! Keep your spirits up! In 2004 our place looked like yours. Six months after the storm it looked great! Please take this time to reassess what you have and what you lost. Then try to draw up a plan that includes plants more likely to survive wind, avoiding trees/shrubs with soft wood that break easily. I've done just about that so this time I didn't lose shubs/trees. They took a real beating but will be fine with some water and fertilizer.

So very glad to hear that your house was spared and that you came home to something that can easily be repaired. Having lived on the Gulf Coast all of my life, know exactly what those winds can do. My husband came home from Carla and found steps and a fence surrounding where their house used to stand. Come next spring, new life will start once again in the garden with blooms.

I don't have a pic of right before Matthew blessed us with much needed water. Luckily we were on the overall safe side of the storm...but with several inches of water.

I thought most my new daylilies were losses as nothing was showing. Now they're showing greener than ever all over and very bushy.

I'm so glad to hear that your daylilies survived. Tough to look at the garden and realize that went through the storm face to face! Keep you chin up and look around--makes you grateful because a lot of people were really damaged by the wind and rain.

Eddie, it won't take until spring! My garden is showing new growth and the birds are really happy to see that bird feeder filled! We are now getting some cooler temperatures and it is glorious to work outside, repairing damage and planning for what the spring will bring. The garden is a great place to be after a nasty storm.

Arlene - An uplifting message and I agree with you!