Hurricanes and Gardens

As we write this, Hurricane Helene is headed directly for the “Big Bend” of Florida. This particular storm will likely be a Category 4 at landfall, meaning that it will cause catastrophic and long-lasting damage to the region. If you’re in the path of the storm, please take steps to ensure your safety and know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. For the rest of us, this storm is a reminder that folks living in regions affected by hurricanes should be prepared for these storms and that part of that may mean preparing our gardens, lawns, and landscapes for hurricane season and the storms it may bring. Here are some tips for keeping your garden and outdoor space prepared for hurricanes and other storms and how you can help them recover afterwards.

• First and foremost, keep yourselves safe by having a plan for hurricanes and tropical storms, having a hurricane kit at home, and knowing your evacuation plan. Our gardens are precious to us, but your life and safety are far more important. Make good decisions and keep yourself and your family safe—your garden can recover.
• Inspect your trees for damage, dead limbs, and other potential hazards that may cause damage if a storm strikes. Dead, dying, and hollowing trees or tree limbs can all fall during a storm and cause problems for homes, outbuildings, and vehicles. So well before the storm arrives we should all keep up with pruning, keep trees healthy, and when in doubt have a professional come out and take a look.
• If possible, plant trees and shrubs that are storm-resistant. In hurricane country, many of these are native species like palm trees, crepe myrtle, live oak, sea-grape, and the wonderfully named gumbo limbo tree. These plants have evolved to survive tropical storms and hurricanes, and they make wonderful landscaping plants too. While you’re landscaping, planting trees and shrubs in clumps or groups helps increase wind resistance and planting them away from buildings and structures can help reduce the risk of storm damage should the worst occur.
• Clear away debris and safely stow outdoor furniture and garden décor. Keeping debris cleared or contained limits potential hazards during high winds, when downed limbs and branches can become dangerous projectiles. If a storm is coming, move outdoor furniture, décor, and other items that may be carried away by the wind indoors or into a sturdy outbuilding. This includes portable greenhouses.
• If there’s time, get your plants readyby moving them to safety or keeping them as safe as possible. Container plants can be moved indoors or into a sheltered space, while outside plants on a trellis or pole can be laid on the ground to limit wind damage. There’s not a lot  you can do for in-ground plants growing outdoors other than prepare your property for the storm, but in our experience they tend to be pretty hardy so put that worry out of your head and keep yourself and your home safe.
• Keep drains clear! Gutters, storm drains, French drains, and other means of clearing excess water away should be kept clear and in good repair year round, but especially so during hurricane season. The time to do this is well before the storm, when it can help prevent pooling and flooding. Safety note: never reach into a clogged storm drain to clear it. You don’t know what’s in there and the sudden flood of water moving into the drain could trap you and potentially cause injury or even death.
• After the storm, assess and repair your garden.A lot of this will depend on your unique space and selection of plants, but here are some general tips and tricks for helping your garden recover. Step  one is to safely clear away debris, downed limbs and branches, and other storm damage. Avoid downed power lines and anything tangled in power lines! Call the professionals or the power company and let them deal with that. While you may not be able to do much for a fallen tree, uprooted shrubs and smaller plants may be able to be replanted and might recover with time and care. Perhaps ironically, frequent watering can help them reestablish their root structures. If possible, trim your grass and clear away weeds—in the wake of the storm, pests and disease can run rampant in the garden.
• Finally, be patient and give yourself grace! The damage from a storm can seem considerable, but try to view it as a part of the natural world of which your garden is a part. In all likelihood, you’ll be able to recover and rebuild—there’s always next season. Keep yourself and your home/garden as safe as possible and the rest will follow.

Hurricanes, tropical storms, and other meteorological events can be stressful for both individuals and communities, and the damage they cause can be huge. Our gardens are an important part of our lives, but keeping ourselves safe should always be a primary goal. So, take care of yourself, help where you can, and let us know how you’re doing when you can safely and conveniently do so.