A week ago, my sunny Garden in Paradise was gray and submerged in several feet of water while being pummelled by a seemingly endless deluge of rain.
Just after sunrise, our property appeared quite flooded indeed!
Tropical Storm Isaac made his mark on the East Coast of Florida without making landfall; even evading the Florida Mainland and heading into the Gulf of Mexico after passing over the Keys. No one expected the floods but they came regardless.
By mid-morning, the water was really high, but the butterfly garden was still dry!
In my area, although flooding was intense, most homes are built on high ground and were not not impacted. However, the low-lying sea-level yards and roads flooded quickly.
By early afternoon, the waters continued to rise
while bands of intense storms continued to pour their moisture
over the already saturated land!
Shortly after this photo was taken, the dock was submerged.
Thankfully, most of the water receded within 24-48 hours. Although thankful my home was not damaged, I was disheartened over my hard-earned landscape.
By early afternoon, the pond, yard, ditch and road merged into one.
Everything was submerged; even the cactus that grows in one of the most elevated, hottest and driest parts of the yard was completely covered by the encroaching water.
The Butterfly Garden was not spared.
The aftermath was smelly, with dead fish rotting on top of turf. OK...positive thought into action...I received a gift of very expensive fertilizer for free!!!
So thankful the house was high and dry!
Some plants fared well, seemingly untouched, while others look worse for wear.
The Stepelia LOVED the moisture and bloomed nonstop afterward!
Lady Margaret passion vine flourished during and after the storm!
This was at least a foot underwater, but never wilted!
At least 6 bromeliads bloomed following the storm!
The Dutchman's Pipevine apparently doesn't mind soggy feet either.
And my tender Dwarf Poinciana seedlings didn't seem to mind either.
Even the young mango tree looked green and healthy after the onslaught.
Many plants show the common signs of too much water and too little oxygen...yellowing leaves, dying branches, drooping foliage, and leaf drop.
All the Frangipani trees dropped leaves, but will be fine.
The Pagoda in the Butterfly Garden is extremely unhappy and showing signs of stress.
The Cape Honeysuckle is not tolerant of excess water either.
I'll have to watch closely for signs of fungal or bacterial infection
in which case I'll apply a low dose of natural fungicide.
The beautiful Caladiums are wilted and withering in the mud following their soggy episode.
I'm also too quick to prune branches that appear dead.
The best way to determine potential hope is to scratch the surface of the limb...
if there is green, leave it alone to recover.
Thankfully God always brings the sun and the promise of the rainbow after the rains!
9 comments:
I know you were hit bad Kimberly.
Wish you a quick recovery.
Costas
We were underwater too, but not as much as you. Things suffered here from too much water.
Glad our homes were not flooded, and glad to see so many blooms and healthy looking shrubbery, etc. at your place.
Have a great day ~ FlowerLady
Thank you, Costas and FL, for your well wishes! FL, I'm so glad to hear your home is OK too. The plant damage is discouraging, but they are hardier than I think.
Wow, you guys got a deluge! It was a non-event here in our part of Florida. I hope all of your plants recover. I cringed when I saw that plumeria. I know they like things well-drained.
Oh Kim! I could think of much less soggy ways to procure high nitrogen fish fertilizer ;) Goodness! I can't believe how high the water was around your dock! I'm glad your all safe though. I think I'd be tempted to leave the plants alone and see what might sprout back in the spring. I hope you don't have too many losses. Sending some sunshine your way!
Scary! So glad you're safe, and that the house remained dry. I hope all your plants bounce back from going swimming!
gosh I didn't realize it caused so much flooding. Isn't it amazing what nature can withstand though. Some plants seem to have truly loved the extra water!
Yikes! Thank goodness the water drained down quickly and not too much damage was done.
So glad to see you were high and dry. Nothing like a little high water to let you know you are not done in the garden. Hopefully you will have some nice dry breezes to clear everything up quickly.
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