I just got home and while I was at work a large sycamore tree fell directly into my cottage garden. Roses 'Heritage'(5'tall&covered in buds), 'Portmierion', 'Eutin', 'Tess of the D'urbervilles', and 'Felicia' cannot be seen. Flattened remains of Lilies Scheherezade, Bergamo, Muscadet, Visaversa, Silk Road, and other Orientals can be seen under leaves and branches. A pink hydrangea was hit right in the middle just like it was slammed with a baseball bat, only the branch is bigger than a bat! I keep thinking of things that are burried under all that right now(like the rhododendron, lilac, and tree peony!) and keep bursting into tears. A grown man reduced to a blithering child! From a devasted flower garden! But I knew you guys would understand. Sorry to dump on fellow DGrs, but only other plant people can empathize and sympathize with stuff like this.
So, this is a great thread to share any of those garden horrors that devastate us (but only temperarily!) Thanks, Neal
Storm-Fallen Tree-Devastation-Tears
Sorry to hear that Neal. I would be devastated too. I have a large dead limb on my flowering crab and it hangs over my daylilies. I told my husband he better take that down before it rots and falls. Flowers are pretty hardy. Hope they survive this ordeal.
I would be devastated too. Sometimes it takes years of nurturing to get things to grow and prosper. I think plants and trees become much like pets to us, you hate to see them get hurt. I feel real bad for you and I hope your plants come back.
Anne
So sorry, Neal. I hope your plants aren't as damaged as it seems--bent rather than broken--and that the process of removing the fallen tree doesn't cause more problems.
Oh Neal.....I am sooo very sorry to hear what happened to your beloved Cottage Garden!! I can only imagine how that feels, knowing all your plants are under that mess, and while they are at summer peak too......oh nature can be tough on us gardeners sometimes. But when you are ready to get out there and see what is only a bit squished, what is needing some pruning, and what will have to be waited on to see if it makes it....we will all be sending good positive fellow-gardener thoughts your way!! And please let us know what the situation is under that tree, we will all be waiting to hear!!!
Good Luck as you restore order to your Cottage Garden!!
Jamie
I've had 2 "horror" stories this year, but neither were that bad. I'm so sorry.
We were cutting down a tree last year and a branch bigger than my thigh (which is pretty good sized.. LOL) fell right on the hybrid tea rose my great aunt gave me as a wedding gift 9 years ago! I was screaming for my husband to "get it off! get it off!"... I guess he thought I was crazy. Luckily, only a couple of the stems were broken and the graft was intact. It's doing o.k. this year.
And then a couple of months ago my husband drove right over one of my large peonies trying to back in to the front porch to move my upright piano. I'm not worried too much about it.
My girlfriend had a rose she salvaged from her grandmother's house run over and broke the main stalk. She said she was out there at 11 at night on her hands and knees in the dirt, with a flashlight, crying, trying to duct tape the poor thing back together. She now reports it has new growth!
Maybe it won't be too bad... we're all empathizing with you!
Gail
I thought I had it bad when my Scherazades broke in half after a storm...after you get rid of the tree mess...everything will come back and this time next year it will all be the same. Little consolation this summer however...............
Even in this mess, I still am counting my blessings at least. Since the tree fell over the driveway, toward the house I am really thankful the house and vehicles are ok. Some friends have rallyed together and are coming over today with chainsaws and that brought a happy tear to my eye. So by this afternoon I should be able to really tell the damage-makes me feel sick just thinking about it. I've got the curtains closed because I can't stand to look at it right now. Thank you all for your supportive words.
I've had a terrible time getting decent shots of the gardens, but this is one of the better ones of the garden that got it.
Neal that really bites! I have bad dreams about garden destruction. Last night I dreamt a big white 4wd Ford dually came up the street, drove into the neighbor's yard then looped around and cut into my yard over peaches and cherries then romped right back out through front which is all beds.
Luckily most of your stuff will be none the worse for wear. Poor Rhodies and tree peony will awhile in reattaining their current grandeur. But - there's a silver lining! I'll bet you've been eyeballing some must have plants that need more sun than you had available. You've just been blessed with new opportunities. More roses maybe? :)
I'm pulling for you Neal and hope you follow up with some pictures, damage report and future plans.
Blaine (...another man who can get emotional over death and destruction in the garden)
This one is fairly clear to. The Asiatic lilies in front are ok, but everything behind them is flattened, and was much taller than when this pic was taken.
Hi gemini_sage, I know exactly how you feel. Last spring, my 70ft tulip tree fell due to a spring storm and rot--wiped out my whole shade garden--killed all of my posies instantly--I was in shock. Now, the posies that came back are loving the full sun--everything is ok--but it will take a while to get used to it.
gemini--
so sorry to hear about your fallen tree and the cottage garden disaster. So disappointing. I know how you feel--earlier this summer we had several big trees blown down into my new shade garden...what a mess it was. But at least now we have more sun--
Good luck. t.
Thank you all so much. I appreciate your condolences more than words can say. Today with the generous help of friends and a borrowed chainsaw the garden is uncovered. While many of the lilies blooms are gone now, many have standing stalks of leaves. So there is much hope for next year. The 'Muscadet' and 'Casa Rosa' were broken to the ground, but I have seen amazing recoveries from lilies. I think having more sun will help with recovery to. A friend even came over with a carload of plants he picked up at a 75% off sale at a local greenhouse for me because he felt so bad about my loss. Strangely, only one plant was something I already have, and it was such a sweet gesture. I guess when we tread on mother nature's turf, she lets us know who's boss. Will try to get pics tommorow. Thanks again, Neal.
Neal - I was sorry for your loss, along with everyone here. A shared sorrow is only half a sorrow, isn't it?
But what a blessing to have such great friends to help you clean up and rebuild! You could name your new garden the friendship garden!
AH! Neal, so sorry. It is nice to see how many good friends you have though isn't it. I'm
always afraid that one of my tree's will do that. Last year we had a huge one snap off but it managed to fall in the one direction it could & not smush anthing. I have 2 tales of woe from last garden. One where the house painters spray painted hundreds of baby plants I'd babied all winter from seed. I did cry and the other was a huge hail storm that smashed a newly planted 40x 50' rose & perennial garden. My then 3 yr old cried 'Mommy! Bad Monster balls ate all your plants!" We both cried that time.
Ginger