I was in Raymondville earlier............I think 6 drops of rain fell on my windshield!
Who got hit with the Storm last night?
got some rain and wind here...thankful for the rain too. Couple of pepper plants now need staking and the tomato spirals held up great. Excellent for weeding tomorrow...beds nice and wet...good time to apply even more mulch.
That was one big storm - and weird. In my neighborhood, only my neighbor and I had any damage (she lost a pine tree). No one else had anything - not even a branch in their yard. I lost my Montezuma Cypress (photo). It survived Rita, but had all the needles except the top blown off. And the top 4-5 feet bent over and hung down. We fastened it to a stake from the top to about 6 feet from the ground to straighten it - I referred to it as its corset. The guy wires where it was staked to the ground from about 4 feet up the trunk had snapped, so we redid those too. That left only about a foot that was unsecured, at about the 4-5 foot high level. So guess where it bent? It didn't break, it bent - to the ground. I had an arborist out and he had never seen anything like it. I have a protected inside corner of my house with a port-a-cachere attached. There is about 3 feet between my roof's edge and the edge of the port-a-cachere that is open to the elements. Somehow, it was if the wind blew out from that inside corner - it blew over heavy pots I can't even move, and blew the BBQ grill all the way across the driveway - away from the house and that corner. It's so hard to describe, I'm sorry. In that same area, I have a decorative thingy with a place for a plant bolted to the brick; I stick silk fern into it so that the wrens can nest there and I don't have to water them.:-D That was untouched - the fern hadn't moved. The storm hit two places in my backyard - blew over my salvias and Tx star hibiscus, and then across on the other side of the back yard, blew over a heavy wrought iron large panel that is open - nothing to catch the wind, and smushed my giant ligularia and frydek's alocasia. In between those two spaces all is OK. Lots and lots of debris from trees. I spent the day raking and staking. But my poor cypress is a goner. The arborist that came out said it looked like I had wind shear - downwards. It's the only thing that makes any sense. I was picturing four little tornados doing there thing. And - 4 inches of rain in the rain gauge in the front yard; 1 1/2 inches in the back yard. Go figure.
Here's a picture of my poor tree. It was just beautiful.
Oh, that's horrible! So sorry for your loss and mess! Last week on Gardening By The Yard they showed how straight line winds had blown Paul James' huge oak tree down. It just ripped it out of the ground and threw it over on part of his house and beds, and his producer's car. It was really weird! I hope that most of your other things were only slightly damaged.
That was one BIG storm cell!!! Look how far away we all are from one another!
konkreteblond - Thought you'd like to know that my Chinese Pistache, about 20 feet from the cypress, was untouched. I love that tree. Not real good looking when young, but they grow up good! And it takes them forever to leaf out in the Spring! Mine is finally starting....
CJ
Oh my CeeJay, what a horrible expierence! What a beautiful Cypress! ...you guys have such beautiful trees down that way. I loved riding down your way to Galveston with my friend. I just awed at the pine trees, remind me so much of central Florida. ...actually, I just love riding through the Woodlands ... its so picturesque!
Speaking of trees, my friend and I went get shootes off that VITEX tree yesterday. We discovered that the branches is growing off a stump in the ground that is as big around as an extra large pizza. After about thirty minutes of dealing with it and the smell, we gave up and came home with four or five branchs we broke off the base.
...then again we discovered the flowers on the other side of the stump ... so now ...that I am home ...Iam wondering if there is another plant there.
Anyway, I think my next step is to propagate since there are no roots in the ground ... it might be next year before I can share. :)
I would have some this year if I hadnt forgot and them out in the freezing cold. Forgive me for I am a novice at this ... lol
Sylvia
Sylvia that second pic shows the ground covered in Vitex babies!
Mitch are you sure? I didnt see anything in the ground. Well can you and Chi meet me there Saturday afte next? or Tuesday or Wednesday after work? :)
Sylvia
Pretty sure - Sat after next I am sign up for camping with the scouts - will have to look to find the next clear date but I would be shocked to find a Vitex without seedlings.
OK lets do it! :)
I went to bed at 1:30 am. (waiting for son to get home from prom) When I got up at 8 am, it had rained. It was wet everywhere and it was beautiful!