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Friday, February 26, 2021

PICKING UP THE PIECES

When my boys were little I used to read from a Hilda Boswell book of poems, nursery rhymes and stories. To this day I know many of them off by heart. One such rhyme..

On rainy days we stay inside, we have a lot of fun, but there is so much work to do when rainy days are done.

Let us substitute ice, snow, frigid temperatures for rain, although I am not sure about how much fun we had.

 

Having prepared my greenhouse, potting shed and garage for in influx of plants during the winter, snug and warm with 2 portable heaters, the last thing on my mind was a total failure in our electrical supply. So when the power went out at 4am and and there was news that it was not going to return and the temperatures over the next 2 nights were going to dip into the single digits there was no choice but to bring the greenhouse into the house. Here it is and here it will stay for a while.

With David's help we dug out a few small Agave weberi knowing they might not survive such low temperatures. We covered many things but the hardiest of plants, which included the whales tongue agave, Agave ovatifolia, the A. parryi, A. Lophantha quadricolor and the large A. weberi all of which have been in the garden for more than 15 years, we did not. That was a mistake. Two hanging baskets found a home in our closet and flats of annuals on the floor in what is normally a sunny spot...but there was to be no sun for days. 

As to ourselves we had no heat in the house but a little warmth from the gas logs we had put in this winter and we were lucky enough to have a gas cook-top so food was not a problem. We put the contents of the fridge and freezer outside, filled the bird feeder constantly and boiled water to keep a dish of water for them from freezing. The water pressure dropped and I began to save water in jugs and I trickled water into the bath. I was glad I had as eventually it stopped. We were still boiling water after 6 days but at least it returned after 3 days. Some were not so lucky.

 

Our first venture out into a snowy world after 3 days. It was safe to walk as long as snow covered the layer of ice. Little did we know how this scene would change.

But that is behind us now. The sun is shining, the snow has thawed, we have surveyed the damage and it is enormous. The first day day I tried not to dwell on that, looking only to the things that appear to have survived.

The blue eyed grass, Sisyrinchium sp. hesperaloe, iris, species tulips, small plants of blanket flowers, some bluebonnets. It depended on where they were located. In the vegetable garden the kale I covered survived the best. Most other vegetables have turned to mush including the Swiss chard.  That isn't a surprise because we already had a freeze which knocked them back. They had just recovered and were producing when this happened. Fortunately I dug up some small plants that I had started from seed, saving them in the potting shed, and replanting today. Many herbs are gone including sage and oregano I have had for years.

Blue-eyed grass
 


Chocolate daisy

Bee balm


 Trailing wine cups

Gulf coast penstemon,

This spiky aloe has survived in a pot and I think will go in the ground next year in a safe place.


 Windflowers. Anemone berlandieri.

The worst place is in the front garden where it looks as though all the Agaves are lost. Also the front courtyard garden where I found that the A. parryi were severely damaged  being wrinkled with white patches of frost burn. They grow so slowly that I don't think there is any hope to see them rebound. The same with the A. lophantha. Time will tell with them but their cells seem to be very soft. It was harkening to see the species tulip, Tulipa clusiana, weathered the storm but they are used to the mountains of Iran. There is hope for a spring bloom from them and bluebonnets and of course there are plenty of windflower leaves that look healthy. 

Agave parryi 

The agave in the front courtyard and outside the walls are a major loss. They were my structural plants. Even the hardiest did not survive these temperatures. With every passing day they tell me it is the end. And to think in the past the things I worried about were hail damage, the agave weevil and whether they might flower. Loss from cold had never entered my mind. 

Damage has progressed from this.......


 To this.

Every one needs to come out and it is a major job to do as well as disposal. It looks ghastly on this dull morning. For now we are sawing off the soggy stems and piling them up in the hope that their weight will be reduced over the next few weeks. The cores are a different matter.

Nature did an imperfect job of pruning my prickly pear cactus in all parts of the garden. The weight of ice and snow was just too great for them. I believe they will survive although I will have to put my imperfect pruning skills to the test. Or maybe I will just start them anew.


 It will be wait and see with most of my plants and I fear will be a disappointing spring. It is probably time to rethink my gardening strategy and garden with less. If I was planning to have fewer things in pots I shall think again as right now that is where my garden is for this year. 

Already my Austin garden friends are offering  extras of plants that have survived. 

Yes, there is so much work to do now icy days are gone.

 

12 comments:

  1. As perfect as your garden has always seemed to me, the real soul of it has always been its head gardener. Grateful for your influence in my garden, your voice in our gardening forums, and your example of resilience and strength as a survivor. So sorry you're facing such a demoralizing setback.

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  2. The scene in your garden is much the same as in mine. I'm very sorry about your plant losses, especially the agaves, as they take so long to get to that point. Yes, we've found plants that can survive our summer heat and drought, but extreme cold too? Geez.

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  3. It's heart-breaking to see these photos and read your descriptions. I imagine how I would feel if it were my garden, and my heart breaks all over again. I'm so sorry this happened to you.

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  4. Like reading Pam's post yesterday I was braced for the worst, the coldest my plants have experienced here is a brief bit at 12 and 14 a couple of times. That was bad enough, your temperatures take it to an entirely different level. I am so sorry you are facing such a swath of destruction.

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  5. I am sure this is so very devastating to you. It's difficult to lose so much at once.

    As a gardener who has experience with temps like these every winter, can you wait a bit before digging up the agave? They aren't a plant I grow obviously but many times I've thought a plant was gone forever only to see it come back from the base or the roots. I usually wait a good 6 months before throwing in the towel....just a thought.

    I've lost much of my garden to ice storms in the past & a 40 yr old, 30 foot rose hedge to rose rosette disease...I still mourn that loss. It's not easy losing beloved garden plants.

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  6. Jenny, I'm so sorry. Seeing what happened to your magnificent agaves in the front garden brought me to tears, so I can only imagine how you feel. Nature can be so incredibly cruel - and I can't even find a polite way to refer to the failings of your power company. Your self-seeded plants have always exploded with confidence and resilience and I hope they will surprise you by providing some of that beauty again this spring despite the beating they had. I know the agaves are another story.

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  7. Awful damage to your beautiful garden. Very sorry to see that. It is heartbreaking.

    I have 'Quadricolor', ovatifolia, parryi truncata...plenty to spare, be happy to send you some, if it would help with recovery.

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  8. It is heart breaking to see all the plant damage. It is probably too early for these words but after the mourning of your losses, there will be new opportunities and I know you will do amazing things.

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  9. Heartbreaking to lose so much of the landscape. Mine is much the same, mushy Agave and brown Palms. At least you were able to save your greenhouse plants, and it will be a wait and see to see what roots have survived. I don’t hold out too much hope, but one never knows. I can barely stand to look out my windows at what was a lush green garden and now all brown and lifeless. I’ll definitely rethink what I plant in the spring.

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  10. I lost most of my agaves in my xeriscape garden in the front. But luckily I saved my 3 big Agave Whales Tongue which are the focal points of my garden by covering them with my bed sheets. And when the snow stopped, I shoved all the snow off the sheets but left the sheets on to protect them from sub zero temperatures for a few days. I’m looking to replant different areas around my house and I’m picking plants from zone 4 to 8. I am surprised to find there are quite a few of them. With your magical hands, I am sure your garden will look beautiful again in no time!

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  11. So sorry to hear about this horrible event in your garden. It seems that Mother Nature is on a rampage this winter. I am glad to hear that you and your husband are alright. Let the rebuilding of your garden begin.

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  12. This is just so hard to read. So sorry for all the damage. Nature is so nutty this year. I could not believe all the images I saw of your area of the country thinking 'Wait, that is where all our Minnesota winter went!" We had bitter subzero temperatures but snow wise, we've barely had any compared to other years.

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