Getting Ready for the Hurricane

For the last day and a half, I've been watching the local garden centers (which I am luckily surrounded by many!) lighting up Facebook with posts advising gardeners in Connecticut how to handle the impending Hurricane Irene. It's very depressing to read, knowing that all the hard work of getting the garden to look the way it does is going to be undone by Monday morning.

I got out of work later than I had hoped to tonight at 6:45 p.m., and immediately set to work gathering and storing various items in the garden. (Apparently it takes a hurricane to have me finally clear off the patio and the driveway!) I squeezed as many plants as possible into the garage (including all my lovely eggplants in pots and perennials I haven't been able to plant yet). Our garage is pretty crowded to begin with, so now it is filled to the max. The shed was next on the list and I took down the tall birdfeeding station (one birdfeeder remains up) and put away the new lounge chair I had saved up for. In went the umbrella (and most likely the spider that creates her web off it every evening) and other misc items. I pushed the patio furniture against the house and covered it with a tarp. The plants that had to remain in the driveway are now pushed in front of the garage door, huddled together and a little bit out in the open, unfortunately. But it's better than there previous summer-long location in front of the power meter.

With the light fading fast, I then started my second mission of the night. I harvested as much basil and parsley as possible for our rabbits. After that, I started cutting all flowers that were in bloom. I was able to get two bouquets worth, and could have probably cut more if the mosquitoes weren't following me around (and making me their supper). Tomorrow morning before work I'm going to pick the last of my tomatoes that are ripe (I ran out of time and light tonight).

The biggest bouquet I was able to pick tonight includes the sunflower I was waiting to bloom, my zinnias, the sedum that has just started to flower, Rosa "The Fairy" and a few stray coneflowers. (And of course, our bottled water is ready to go in case we lose power.)

No one is sure what to expect. My neighbor fears that trees surrounding the property will come down. With wind gusts that can reach 80 mph (at least), I'm hoping all the trees surrounding our house (especially the tall maples and black walnuts) stay intact. I guess it's silly to be lamenting the envitable doom the garden faces... but I still am. I'm ready for this hurricane to be past.