I live in Houston & the nation witnessed the torrential floods we received three weeks ago. I reside in NW Harris County, one of the hardest hit areas. I had a new large delphinium, unfortunately it is dying. Is this common to zone 8–9 or was it the conditions we suffered, 60 mile an hour wind, torrential down pour 14" of water in 13 hours, etc.? I was reduced to tears watching all my new plants and the mulch $200 worth wash down the street. We did all we could to preserve them. I sasandbagged the fence so runoff water wouldn't add to the flooding in my flower bed. As a result, the water backed up into my house through the back door. Now I have damaged my floor. Regardless I was hell-bent on saving my baby garden. I even resorted to using a coffee cup to strain the excess water from my flower bed. There's nothing we could, do it was raining faster than we could bucket / coffee cup it out. I stood over my delphinium with an umbrella and a tarp for a good 30 minutes crying until my husband made me come inside the house.
Money aside it was hard enough watching your labor of love die in front of you. On the Eastside of my house my verbena had an odd web on it. I discover this a week after the floods. It reminds me of the web worms I've seen in pecan trees. The leaves had holes and it smelled sappy. What is this? This worm seems to have jumped onto my Althea, which was always an over budder, nonproducer of flowers to begin with, and my Lobilia seems to be effected as well. So does my clown mix. The leaves have holes in all The flowers I mentioned. I don't see any more webs though. What do I do? What type of chemical first and foremost do I use to save what little I have from web worm? I've had to contend with snakes, critters of all kinds. I just want my garden back. One last question, what are the best bedding flowers / plants that will survive Houston's bipolar weather? My hibiscus survived this storm. Perhaps I planted the delphinium on the wrong side of the house? My preference is bright blue, purples & pinks, can you suggest something sturdy enough to make it through August?
Thank you from a sad soggy Houstonian- Jacqui Peck
