Squirrelhaven's new water feature.
Yesterday afternoon, it was beastly, unbearable hot. Then the heavens opened and poured down upon Squirrelhaven over 2 1/2 inches of rain in less than an hour. I can't recall the like, so I documented it. Pardon the inane commentary, but I was in a bit of a state of shock and I was talking to the kids.
This kind of flooding has happened only once before in the 17 years I've lived here (remember the rains of September 2008?), but never this quickly.
There was so much water and then the street drain got clogged with debris blown off the trees, so the water ran up over the curb. All that water had retreated by evening. In addition to the wild wind, there was pea-sized hail.
This morning I surveyed the aftermath. I was right about the Peony 'Fen Yu Nu.'
It's really a shame, as the flower is a lovely single, Japanese type.
While the Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler' looked pretty bad this morning,
it perked up once it dried off. I wish I could say the same about the jack-in-the-pulpits.
Fortunately, not all of them look like they've gone on a bender.
There was minor breakage
and hail damage, and the wind cleared out a bit of deadwood from the trees.
and hail damage, and the wind cleared out a bit of deadwood from the trees.
My major concern is for the Chionanthus virginicus.
It's a single-stemmed tree form, and it's still badly listing. At least it didn't break, so it will recover, albeit with a bit more character.
16 comments:
We had a similar fierce event in Connecticut about 2 this morning - no hail, though, so damage was limited to flopping lamb's ears. Character will make your plant all the more precious - hope it comes through okay! Your p. pilosa looks cute even when drenched...
YIKES! That doesn't look like a minor deluge... I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your chionanthus recovers, and that Jack recovers from his bad rain hangover!
I don't mean to denigrate your deluge, but that seems to be the way it rains down here in Louisiana! It's never good though. Especially with hail (crossed fingers as we haven't had any in a long while). Sometimes for my daintier plants I shake the excess moisture off, just to give them a head start on recovery. I hope you needed that rain!
I am so sorry~it's shocking to have a storm move through like that~I do hope the plants recover~gail
That was quite a storm! I liked your commentary, too.
Yep, that's the kind of torrential downpour that floods my corner of Katy. I hope yours disappeared as quickly as mine does!
We get these torrential downpours every whip stitch. Not unusual during spring and fall. I hope nothing was permanently damaged in your garden. It was fun to hear your voice.
We didn't get this deluge in the western suburbs. Your woodland plants are lovely and mostt seemed to have survived.
Eileen
Cyndy - I wonder if it was the same storm. It came through here about 3:30 in the afternoon, was over by 5.
Jean - I had no idea it did that in Lousiana. Sounds challenging.
Cindy - I knew this kind of thing happens in the Southwest. The water is mostly gone, but there are enough puddles in the area to breed lots of mosquitoes.
Lisa - I'm glad you enjoyed the voice-over.
Eileen - it was what is called a "localized rain event." I was happy to get some rain, just not all at once.
Here we had nothing that bad, just a mere 15 miles away! It rained off and on, sometimes sort of heavy but nothing like what you had, and nothing in comparison to September 2008.
that's what I mean when I say it rains in Houston like a cow pissing on a flat rock.... fun, ain't it?
I guess you used the word "minor" in case someone like me came along and read your post. We got 4 inches in half an hour that same afternoon plus dime size hale. Then it continued to drop another inch over the next hour. Here are pictures where you can see the remnants of the river that formed through some of our plots. http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=11900&id=117816671586102&ref=mf
We have these types of rain all too often here. I don't like it when it's a lot of rain in a short amount of time.
Why is it everyone else is getting rain and I'm getting none? Doesn't sound like you are thrilled with the rain you got. Hope your garden recovers quickly.
This is the first year in a long time we haven't gotten a whopper storm at peony time.
Marnie
Lots of dark clouds here in Batavia on Thursday but no rain. I was on the deck enjoying a cocktail and listening to the far off rumbling thunder. It's a good reminder that although we're all in "Chicagoland" the weather can be totally different just a short distance away.
That's some serious rain! Wow. I do hope your plants didn't sustain too much permanent damage.
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