Russell- Evans
We Can’t Control Mother Nature.
By: Mary Russell- Evans
We Can’t Control Mother Nature. Back in the late 80s, a tornado in the Sardis area hit one of my cousins. We all ganged up and went out to help. All we carried out were some pictures still hanging on the one wall that was left. I remember it vividly. My dominant memory is crawling around in pine boughs & power lines. POWER LINES! Remarkable how you can stand right in it and not be able to “see” it. Later some of her papers were found in Walnut Ridge.
I have been out there again and seen it. It brought back memories of my cousin’s tornado. Even if you weren’t there then, you never forget being “in it.” Seeing the “regular people” doing the work again is heartwarming.
While watching the news and seeing the damage in real-time, I worried about my co-workers (family) at Cantrell Gardens, whom I didn’t yet know were sent home early! I was home hiding in the hall as it was dropping off the ridge onto Rebsamen Park Road. (Thanks Todd Yakoubian.) Many of us had close calls on that Friday. We are grieving for the ones that had closer calls. I still get phone calls and constant emails from friends and relatives nationwide. I imagine we don’t know how many MGs are affected, but we all feel it.
Grief can go beyond the regular loss of people, loved ones, jobs, and pets, changes in the foods we eat, illnesses, and neighbors moving away. For people like us- it’s also the loss of our gardens, our trees- years of work, and our places of solace. Some of us are not crazy about change.
The best advice is always…. Wait to make decisions. Think things through. Consider all your options. Talk to people. Take comfort in- you are not alone in this. We are all in it. MGs are good listeners.
This is supposed to be about gardening.
We’ve had storm damage before… ice storms, flash freezes, and straight-line winds…. But dang! Plants have taken a hit- two brutal winters in a row with a nightmare HOT drought in between. Not to mention the insane “flash freeze” we had last year. At least we dodged the bullet (in central Arkansas) with the “non-event” ice storm in February.
In a storm several years back, Judy Bradsher lost two huge trees. The trees were gone-leaving bare a massive shade garden. A vast selection of azaleas, ferns, hostas, amaryllis, and other shade plants- all thrust into the full sun. However, we pulled most of the hostas but left the rest. Most were mature, adapted just fine, and are still doing great. It helped that it did not happen in the middle of summer when they could have/should have/would have just burned up. We have a similar situation now. Hopefully, these plants can adjust as the weather moves forward into summer. Plants are resilient. Sometimes they do just fine on their own without any interference from humans. If they are damaged, cut them back- see what happens. Just watch them. If you find they need to adapt, be proactive. Move them, give them away, and have a digging party with some MGs who are always glad to dig up plants. We got your back! Some of Bea Kimball’s native iris is now under my big oak tree.
Events like these are particularly hard on us tree-hugger types. We always need to replace any trees we lose. Be a good picker. Choose trees that have real benefits for the ecosystem & create habitat. Consider big shade trees. Get them started first! This may be an opportunity to learn about natives and xeriscape.
Remember, “non-gardeners” don’t understand the value of our plants. Years of learning, planning, buying, planting, killing, moving, loving & nurturing. They can’t help it, so be patient with them. Look for the wonderment. Watch everything come back, not just plants. Baby birds, dragonflies, even pesky squirrels. It will be great to see & hear them.
Right now, maybe the gardens are the last thing you’re thinking about, but they will get you through…. Like new opportunities. Learning new plant palettes. Now you have a sunny garden. Look at the “up” side. Blank slate? A chance for a “do-over?” Maybe you inherited an existing mess when you moved in? Make your mess now. It took me over 30 years to make my mess. Remember- gardens are therapy. There is no better place than a garden for healing. A garden is my first retreat- mine or someone else’s. Go borrow one if need be. Pull some weeds! Be optimistic. Perhaps a new garden is a rainbow at the end of the tunnel. Look forward to getting past all the mess to the time you can get back in the dirt and do some gardening. One of my favorite garden sign sayings is…
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
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