Hurricane Irma: That Which Survives

I'm referencing a classic Star Trek episode because I did think that my garden, post Irma, was like Losira, just a scary zombie. I'm glad to say I've been proven wrong. Some plants survive. But what exactly did they survive?

Irma approaches Florida courtesy of Slate

Category 3 winds for many hours. 15 inches of rain. Salt spray for 36 hours. Most of my garden was pretzelized, brown and twisted beyond recognition. I didn't have the heart to photograph it. It was just plant carnage. (Not gonna talk about my house! It's semi-habitable.)

But almost 3 weeks later, these plants are trying hard to survive. Here's the list of which plants are doing their best to keep going:

1. Schefflera- considered pests in many areas, these trees just can't be kept down! I am very fond of them at this point. No one touches my Scheffleras!

2. Tillies. Yup, I was right to say Tillies are the future. They were blown all over the place, but they are still growing and thriving, even after tornadoes and a Cat 3. Here's one I found upside down in a flower pot:

If Harvey, Irma, and Maria are harbingers of the superstorms of our future, Tillies are ready to meet the challenge.

3. Sansevieria, superstrong, supertough, nothing can knock these guys out!

4. Texas Buttonwood. This tree was a gorgeous creature, lush and 12 feet tall, and harbored many reptiles and cottontail rabbits. It was pretzelized by Irma, but it's trying to come back. I've been giving it Reiki and water with dilute fertilizer daily. It's trying!

Two hurricanes in less than a year. And we are much more fortunate than so many of our neighbors to the north, south, east, and west. This is climate change, as hurricanes have a mission to move excess heat from the tropics poleward. And we have a lot more heat to move these days. That means there will be more of these superstorms until we get this mess cleaned up ourselves, if we can, and I think we can. I'm scared about the future, but I think we have an opportunity here to make it better. No politics here, just real experience. Blessings and peace, everyone!