we brought a older home on 4.5 acres in the country after loosing our home on the coast to Katrina. Guess i should show everyone where has been accomplished in the last year. Can't believe they built the house down the hill over looking the pond but the trees blocked the view
This is what we had when we first moved in
starting clearing
looking better. The Azalea ended up coming out too
view from across the pond after clearing
view from across the pond as of last week
my brugmansia bed off the side of the front porch
brugmansia alley running down the west side
erosion control planting as my property slopes and washes in torential rain storms. I have Indian Hawthornes and day lillies below them. above them not shown is Hardy Hibiscus all planted on the slope
more erosion controll neat the dam I have cannas on the back side of some logs and Ruby Spice and Mock Orange shrubs on the lower side
3rd erosion controll area. I just had 25 cannas planted and if you look to the top left you will see more logs that will be planted with Daylillies I just made a trade for. Above the logs the dirt that was dug was put between the logs and assorted MG, Runner Beans, and Clitoria vines were planted to hide the logs. also the Clitoria are host for the Long-tailed and Sliver-spotted Skippers
one of my fountain. Got it for a steal used. It is where the Azalea was that I removed in a earlier pic
view SW to NE
view out my front door
view to SE out front door
view to SW from front door
wildflower bed
view west side N to S
Wow! Donna that's beautiful !!! I'm tired just looking at all the work you've done.It looks so peaceful and quiet. Let me know if you need a live-in pond boy? Don
Wow! You've done an amazing job transforming your property, Donna! What a difference from the original yard. I would love to have a large yard like yours! But at the rate I am going, I'd never see it to completion for garden beds. My yard is going to take many years to become what I have in mind. My dream is to be able to walk around on a winding path and see different garden "rooms". Your yard is the perfect size for winding paths and all kinds of secret rooms and garden beds!!!
Love your erosion control around your property. I, too, like day lilies! Smart use of the cut trees! Nothing wasted! Nice!!! Your wildflower bed is so pretty! I bet the butterflies hang out there all day! :-) Looks like you have a beautiful view from every direction! It all looks great!!!! Congrats on the new place and the yard transformation! Just lovely!!!! :-)
Wow Donna, you have done a great job. Looks Beautiful. : )
I know what's it's like to lose after a hurricane. Below is a picture of my house, after Hurricane Charley, Francis and Jeanne. The cleanup and rebuilding itself took 3 years.
Oh, and could you show me a closer picture of a mock orange when you get a chance. I need to find one.
~Lucy
(my house is in there somewhere. lol )
Lucy - How horrible. Sorry to see all the damage you got that year as well. I hope that I don't see another year like 2004 again in my lifetime! So sorry to hear that it has taken 3 years to get your life back to normal. {{{{{hugs}}}}}
I hope nothing like that happens in my lifetime ever again. That just blew my mind when I walked outside.
I never heard those trees hit the ground. Wind and pebbles hitting the window was all I heard. One even came threw my bedroom roof, and straddled my waterbed. I was in the next room. (kitchen)
I'll show some more pictures one day, when I have time.
This message was edited Jun 8, 2007 6:36 PM
This was my old home before Hurricane Katrina
after Katrina
the inside of my home after 19' of water. Flood Insurance paid off and County tore it down
BlueGlancer my heart goes out to you. If not for having flood insurance we would have been bankrupt and still homeless living in a Fema Trailer
the credit for the yard goes to my DH, a good friend from here Larry Eleyearcrazy, my DD and her friends did all the planting. Many, many, many people here at Daves sent me plants, I grew from seed, traded for some, and bought some. I just had major back surgery a couple of months before Katrina, I have RA and Fibromyalgia so most of my days are pretty painful but I do enjoy walking around looking at all the wildlife it has attracted and the beautiful blooms. I would have no life if not for my gardens.
Becky down the road I would like to have mulched paths all around. DH already made a secret path out in the woods and made a clearing. Hoping he will put in a Pavillion one day
I can relate to all the photos. Though our house was not severely damaged like our neighbors, it was still a nightmare getting the roof fixed and a few other repairs done. I don't know if I could come back and repair/rebuild again should this happen again to my family and community. It's my worst fear. And seeing how we had our first named tropical depression on June 1st, it isn't looking very good for this hurricane season to be another mild one like last year. Where's El Nino when you need it????!
First, Donna, all of your efforts at your new home look gorgeous. I'm sure you put a lot of time, effort and sweat to make your new place what you want it to be. And when those brugs grow up, that will be awesome.
Whew, obviously, I was not hit by Katrina, so all of the destruction is well out of my grasp of comprehension. I have a rental house here in Southern Indiana, and after Katrina hit, I had a very dazed, confused, broken family wanting to look at my house in hopes they would like it, and that I would rent it to them. As it turns out, they lost everything due to Katrina. They were from Slidell. They grabbed a few clothes, their dog, and left just before the hurricane hit. They lost everything, and insurance would cover nothing. They have been my tenants for almost two years now -- and hopefully, they'll renew their lease.
In any event, just seeing these people so lost and destroyed and broken, is nothing but heartbreaking, but there was also that determination to rebuild their lives that amazed me. And, Donna, Becky & Lucy, you all seem to be very strong individuals, who have had their worlds turned upside down, yet have had the will to go on and pick the pieces back up again, and that is just a tremendous thing. :)
I picked up the pieces once, but I don't know about doing it again here in my town. Pray that the U.S. doesn't have another Katrina or devastating hurricane hit us. My dh and I don't think we could re-build our lives again like that. Once in a lifetime is enough.
And we are still feeling the effects of what happened 3 years later!!!
I had d-mailed Donna and I am copying and posting here some of what I wrote her:
Florida is currently in a recession (as I am sure much of the country is). So the market here to even sell a house is flat-lined. We feel trapped without a paddle, if you know what I mean. There are so many houses up for sell in my community that it's hard to believe. There is at least one or two houses on every street ... often more. I think everyone is bailing because of the recent hurricanes, recession, property taxes jumping up along with homeowner's insurance rates. Most working families can't afford it here anymore. It's really sad.
I love where I live. I know so many people in my community that it's like an extended family. It's a wonderful town! This is my home. But there seems to be this uneasiness looming over us here on the east coast of Florida. Evacuation out of Florida is an absolute nightmare! Honestly ... what were the chances of us getting hit TWICE within a 3 week period in 2004! Something brought both of those hurricanes right in at us. Gulf stream? Upper atmospheric currents? Bad luck? Who knows! Everyone is holding their breath every year at this time. It reminds me a little of post traumatic stress syndrome/disorder. I see it in everyone that is still living here. Old and young alike. It's a little like living life on the edge ..... constantly. Very stressful.
I believe in God and that all things happen for a reason .... but that still doesn't make it any easier when you don't know what will happen a month or two or three from now. And my family has survived one devastation already. It's said that God doesn't give you any more than you can handle. I hope I don't have to find out what my limit is. Keep us in your prayers! We are probably going to need it this hurricane season.
~Becky~
Becky I am praying for us all. There are still 1,000's of people living in those tiny FEMA trailers, my DD and GS included. I am hoping her name will get drawn for the Cottages they are building. If they draw her name they will build it on our old property and she will get to live in it rent free for 2 years then they can purchase them at fair market value.
Anyone needs to run this way you are welcome here, animals included as long as they get a flea bath first lol. I have plenty of room for a family with pets.
Donna you have truly overcome a mountain of devastion. The same goes for everyone along the coast that suffered and survived Katrina. I know we're on pins and needles everytime hurricane season comes around. This part of Texas has been spared for several years but we all know sooner or later another hurricane is going to kick out butts. If it's not tornadoes it some other force of nature!!! We've had winds in the upper 30 to 40 mph these past few days...it really keeps you on edge...not sure if those are a good thing considering the temperature was 105 yesterday. UGH!!!
Becky, Donna and all my garden buddies living in Florida, Mississippi and everywhere in between are in my prayers.
Love the photos of your place in the country!!! Brugmansia alley!!! What a wonderful idea. I have a brugmansia wall...ha ha...got some growing on one side of my house...they always attract lookers when they are in full bloom. The yellow morning glory vines have once again worked their way under the back gate and are encroaching the brugmansias. Will have to cut them back before they wrap around everything :o)
Thanks for sharing those photos...love the big pond too.
Take care...and God Bless!!!
~ Cat
Plants of my Habitat that have been planted since Spring 2006 to present, Tropicals are in huge pots
34 varieties of named Brugmansia
1 Erythrina amazonica
1 Erythrina caffra
1 Erythrina coralloides
1 Erythrina crista galli
1 Erythrina herbacea
1 Erythrina indica picta
1 Erythrina indica
1 Erythrina indica Alba
1 Erythrina sandwicensis green flower
1 Erythrina sandwicensis orange/green flower
2 Erythrina acanthocarpa
1 Erythrina bidwillii
1 Aristolochia brasiliensis
1 Aristolochia fimbriata
1 Aristolochia gigantea
1 Aristolochia elegans
1 Aristolochia peruviana
1 Aristolochia ringens
1 Aristolochia trilobata
1 Aristolochia giberti
1 Aristolochia tomentosa
1 Aristolochia Wastsonii
1 Cuphea hybrid 'Twinkle Pink'
3 Cuphea ignea
4 Cuphea llavea
1 Cuphea melvilla
2 colors Buddleia davidii
1 Buddleia lindleyana
1 Passiflora edulis
1 Passiflora foetida
1 Passiflora quadrangularis
1 Passiflora alata
1 Passiflora Incense
1 Passiflora Allardi
2 Passiflora Incarnata
2 Passiflora Biflora
2 Passiflora atropurpurea
1 Passiflora caerulea
1 Passiflora Lavender Lady
1 Passiflora morifolia
1 Passiflora membranacea
1 Passiflora "Platyloba
1 Passiflora Suberosa
12 Bronze Fennel
2 Parsley
6 Dill
5 Rue
1 Dalechampia dioscoraefolia Bow Tie vine
1 Texas Mountain-Laurel
2 Sassafras Trees
2 Paw Paw Trees
6 Spicebush Trees
1 Surinam Cherry Tree
2 Red Mulberry Trees
2 Serviceberry Trees
2 Crape Myrtle
2 Celest Fig Trees
2 Delonix regia
1 Cassia javanica
1 Cassia bicapsularis
3 Cestrum aurantiacum
3 Cestrum elegans
2 Cestrum nocturnum
3 Wild Lime Prickly-Ash
1 Lime Tree
2 Ash Trees
1 Millettia Reticulata Evergreen Wisteria
1 Tree Dahlia Dahlia imperialis
1 Galphimia gracillis
12 Leonotis nepetifolia
3 Ruellia Elegans
2 Ruellia brittoniana
2 Dicliptera Suberecta
2 Stokes Aster
2 Brazilian Bachelor Button Centratherum intermedium
3 Pink Candle Celosia
1 Snail Vine
1Creeping Phlox
1 Antigonon leptopus Pink Coral Vine
1 Hoya
5 Althea in purple and double red
8 Indian Hawthorne
1 Deutzia
2 Weigela Bushes
2 colors Cape Honeysuckle
2 Blue Star Amonsia--check spelling
1 Abutilon megapotamicum variegatum
1 Abutilon that is Green and White ukn name
8 Alstroemeria psittacina
3 Brillantaisia guianensis
4 Salvia coccinea Red and Coral Nymph
2 Salvia elegans
2 Salvia greggii
1 Salvia puberula
1 Salvia buchananii
1 Salvia mexicana 'Lollie Jackson'
1 Salvia mexicana Limelight
2 SALVIA GUARANITICA 'BLACK AND BLUE'
2 Salvia Indigo Spires
1 Salvia chiapensis
1 Salvia miniata
1 Riverside Sage
1 Salvia Darcyi
1 Salvia madrensis
1 Salvia Regla
1 Red Barleria Species
6 Verbena Bonariesis
1 Leucophyllum frutescens
6 Streptocarpus
2 Sinningia sellovii
2 Sinningia Tubiflora
1 Nematanthus Tropicana/Guppy/Goldfish Plant
1 Nematanthus Gregarius/Guppy/Goldfish Plant
2 Aeschynanthus Lipstick Plant
2 LOBELIA 'QUEEN VICTORIA'
3 JOE PYE WEED
2 ECHINACEA PURPUREA 'WHITE SWAN'
2 ECHINACEA PARADOXA - YELLOW CONEFLOWER
1 ECHINACEA PURPUREA 'MAGNUS'
1 ECHINACEA 'SUNDOWN' - CONEFLOWER
2 RUDBECKIA LACINIATA
2 RUDBECKIA FULGIDA
6 Campanula Cherry Bells
6 Campanula with purple bells flowers
3 Justicia betonica
1 Justicia brandegeana
1 Justicia brandegeana variegated
1 Justicia carnea pink
2 Justicia Fruit Cocktail
4 Justicia spicigera
2 Pachystachys lutea
1Strobilanthes flaccidifolius
1 Dwarf Red Porterweed
2 Coral Porterweed
4 Purple Porterweed
4 Pentas lanceolata
4 Echinops ritro
1 Porphyrocoma pohliana Purple Shrimp Plant
2 Clerodendrum bungei
1 Clerodendrum paniculatum
1 Clerodendrum speciosissimum
1 Clerodendrum trichotomum
1 Clerodendrum Ugandans Blue Butterflies
1 Clerodendrum Species Pink Butterflies
1 Clerodendrum indicum
3 Firespike Red Purple and Variegated
10 Asclepias curassavica Scarlet Blood flower and Silky Gold
2 Asclepias Incarnata Swamp milkweed
2 Calotropis Gigantea
4 Plantain
2 Duranta Repens
Lots of Hedychium, Spiral, and Curcuma Gingers
2 Variegated Shell Ginger
1 Shell Ginger
2 Globba schomburgkii Orange Dancing Ladies
2 Globba winitii Mauve Dancing Ladies
6 Dichorisandra thyrsiflora Blue Ginger
Lots of Louisiana Water Iris in assorted colors
40 bearded Iris in assorted colors
8 Lantana
1 Malvaviscus arboreus drummondii
1 Malvaviscus arboreus penduliflorus
1 Malvaviscus arboreus penduliflorus Rosea
4 Mirabilis Jalapa Pink and Yellow
1 Sesbania Punicea
1 Sesbania Formosa/White Dragon Tree
1 Russelia Sarmentosa
2 Russelia Equisetiformis red and yellow
3 Scutellaria hot pink and dark purple
2 Plumbago Indica
1 Tagetes Lemmonii
2 Gloxinia Sylvatica
4 Guara Lindheimeri
2 Anisacanthus wrightii Flame Acanthus
2 Mandevilla Vines
1 Silk Floss Tree
2 Tweedia Caerulea
8 Gloriosa superba
Lots of assorted Bromeliads
Lots of assorted Cannas
Lots of assorted Daylilies
1 Holmskioldia sanguinea
1 Yellow Bleeding Heart Vine
3 Iochroma red and purple
1 Jatropha integerrima
2 Murraya paniculata Mock Orange shrubs
4 Summer Sweet Ruby Spice Shrubs
2 Scarlet Honeysuckle
1 Sunny Yellow Honeysuckle
1 Mardi Gras Honeysuckle
2 Dietes bicolor
6 Hardy Hibiscus
6 Tx Red Star Hibiscus
12 Tropical Hibiscus
and I have 171 Brugmansia seed started for some Friends
Planted by the previous owners or in the wooded areas there are
Lots and lots of the Wild Japanese Honeysuckle and Carolina Jasmine growing through out our property
Lots of Wild Grape vines
Lots of assorted Wild Fruiting Trees(Cherries, Dogwoods, Sparkleberries, Hollies, Wax Myrtles etc.)
Several varieties of Oak
Many Invasive Sweet Gum and Popcorn trees
Magnolias
Pine Trees
Tung Oil Trees
2 Orange Trees
1 Satsuma Tree
1 Loquat Tree
2 Chinese Wisteria
4 Peach Trees
Way to many Azaleas
2 Camellias
3 Hydrangeas
4 Blueberry Bushes
Dioscorea batatas vine
This message was edited Jun 9, 2007 2:02 AM
Very nice Donna!
You sure made a great comeback from the storm. Seems we have a lot of the same plants. (I'm a big brug fan too, only have 3 kinds now..and not stopping.)
Your house and everything looks fantastic, bless you and all who helped!! Now you can finally rest a little. *sigh* I will keep my prayers toward the others in fema housing, who are still waiting to exhale.
:-Deb
Wow, Donna! Did you bring many of those plants from your old home? Or are those all new plants (except the ones growing on your property when you bought it)? That's a very impressive collection. And you got plenty of room for them at your new place!!! :-)
My dh saw some brug bushes growing at a house he was at and came home and kept telling me all about how unusual and pretty they were. It was blooming profusely. I have a small amount of brug seeds from a swap. 4 seeds for Insignis White and 3 seeds for Sanquinea. Haven't tried them yet because I was under the impression they are hard to germinate and grow from seed. Are they?
Thanks, Deb! Prayers we definitely need!!! :-)
Will definitely keep everyone in my thoughts and prayers this season. Hopefully, it will be like last year -- all "hype," no hurricanes.
Becky, do you have any brugs? :) If you're interested in growing some, I could give you a cutting or two from my Isabella that I posted on the other thread. Delisa would be a great person to talk to about germinating seeds. She has come up with some amazing crosses. :) I'm growing out some seeds for a few people, and it can be a little challenging, but when those seeds do sprout, it's definitely worth the effort!
By the way, if you go to the Brug forum, Delisa is giving away some seeds, so you may be interested in doing that if you're interested.
I know that I am sounding like an old, angry person! (Probably true. LOL!) But gotta rant once more .....
Donna - My neighbor a short distance down my street finally got out of her FEMA trailer 6 months ago. Her house had to be totally gutted and rebuilt. Her and dh and 3 year old daughter had a heck of a time living in a little trailer for well over a year! I know that Katrina victims got hit the worst that we have seen in U.S. history. And I don't want to take away from their HUGE loss, but ..... my county and a few other counties around us were devastated from the two 2004 hurricanes. Because we have a smaller population of people .... less than 40,000.... we got very little help for a long time. People that barely got damage in Miami got checks handed out to them like candy and we got nothing!!! (Which of course prompted the investigation into FEMA a year later.)
Do you know there are STILL homes in my area with blue tarps on the roofs that have to be gutted and rebuilt on the inside. One is on the river in a beautiful location. I heard the homeowner has been in a horrible lawsuit with their insurance company trying to get their home repaired. This is an elderly couple. Words about that kind of treatment fail me. That situation is nothing short of a crime to me. I don't have a lot of faith in insurance companies and insurance adjusters these days when I know what I went through to get my home repaired and am still seeing what others are dealing with. So if what happened here in Sebastian is any indication of what Katrina victims are dealing with, they truly need our prayers! And they soooo have my sympathy. We need to have a nasty hurricane hit Washington D.C. I bet the laws would change in a big hurry then! LOL!
Three years later for us ...... it is still horribly sad. Some damage is still visible and a constant reminder for those of us who live here. Fortunately, we had little loss of life compared to all the lives lost in Katrina. I can't even imagine what Katrina victims are going through, but living here on the east coast of Florida ..... I feel like a floating duck in hunter's pond with the barrel aimed.
Hurricanes normally come from Africa across the Atlantic ocean to knock on Florida's door. STRONG hurricanes coming up the Gulf of Mexico over the past few years has been an unusual event rather than the norm. Does make one wonder about other factors such as Global Warming. Something has changed. I just hope it's not a permanent change! =:-O Ya know MY prayers never cease for everyone affected past, present, and future! {{{{{HUGS}}}}}
Becky,Brugs aren't that tough to germinate.I've had lots of luck soaking for a few days in water and H2O2 .Like 1 qt water and 2 tablespoons H2O2.Then pot them up in community pots and put in shady spot and mist them a few times a day to not let dry out ever.I've heard the Sanquiea is a toughy but just takes a bit longer.They have that corky coating and some people remove the coating to get them to germinate but I don't..I got a whole bags of seeds at a round-up and I put off trying to germinate them because I had the same fears and one day looked at them and they had mold all over them.So I soaked them as I described and cleaned off the mold and potted them up and got over 75 little plants.That's why I say they aren't that tough.They are Dr.Suess X Rothkirch planted 4-3-07 emerged 4-16-07 seeds courtesy Paul Hicks at Corky's round-up.
That's encouraging news, Don! Thanks! Now I just need someone to give me the info for H2O2 (Hydrogen Peroxide?). I had printed it out and my daughter accidentally threw it away with some of her old school papers. So you mix 2 TBSP of H2O2 with 1 qt. of water and soak seeds for a few days? Until what? They start sprouting? Or do you just plant them after that whether any germination is present or not? Correct me if I am misunderstanding. Since I have so few seeds, I need to get it right the first time! LOL!
Added:
How big are yours after 2 months, Don?
This message was edited Jun 9, 2007 9:00 AM
