Garden Update: A Year After the Storm

Happy Memorial Day, Friends! Thank you to all who have served in the military to protect our freedom, including my two brothers--I appreciate you! Here in Texas, the holiday weekend got off to a wet start due to heavy thunderstorms, but I have been spending a lot of time working in the garden the last few months, and today I am sharing a one year update...

On May 27 last year, a severe hail and wind storm uprooted six trees and destroyed much of the landscaping in my garden. Later I would see a photo of the twister that touched down during the 70 mph winds. Eventually I may replant, but like many things during the pandemic, tree selection has been limited. In the meantime, I am adjusting and working around what can survive full Texas sun for 12 hours a day! This little spot is currently the only shady place in the garden due to the loss of so many large trees.

I can see  my new happy place from my bedroom window, and my fun Boho hammock swing* beckons me!  (*Although there are cheaper varieties available, I had a poor shipping/customer service experience with a previous selection and highly recommend the linked listing specifically!*) 

Vibrant vinca can withstand the scorching Texas sun and retains its colorful blooms all season long, so I buy it for my containers when it's on sale. Pictured below is one of the uprooted trees that fell across  the area that is now my cozy new place to relax. 

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Cutting and clearing trees, removing stumps, and burning brush has been a lengthy process that I couldn't have managed without Favorite Son's help. You can see more of our progress in the 6 week and  3 month updates I shared last year. Unfortunately, 9 months later, my garden experienced another "first"; I lost another tree and several large rosemary bushes in the February ice storm that affected many Texas homes. Thankfully, my home didn't experience any interior damage, and although my lovely creeping fig that you've seen featured as a backdrop in many posts died back for the first time, it is very slowly beginning to come back. 

These two collages illustrate what my garden clean-up has looked like this spring. I adore my large rosemary bushes, but they are one of the most difficult plants to remove on the rare occasion that they die. The roots are huge and very stubborn to dig out. 

Because of the constant full sun, I lost my lush English ivy groundcover. However, I have been encouraged by the return of several perennials that didn't make an appearance after last year's storm, including clematis...

...and several of my rose bushes. Thursday, I shared my DIY copper rimmed flowerpot, here.

The morning glories started blooming after I took the photos of my flowerpot upcycle!

It's true that honeysuckle requires trimming to tame it, but it smells heavenly and has filled in the bare spots where the ivy grew previously. Some of the paths and nooks I originally carved out in my landscaping simply aren't there anymore, so I have also been doing some rearranging to accentuate the positive and adapt to the changes. It remains a work in progress and I'll continue to share updates!