IFEEL LIKE I’M BACK IN GIRL SCOUTS, earning merit badges for proficiency in new tasks. This weekend I mastered Generator 101, and though it’s no picnic, I did manage to make a tea party, with my electric kettle operating al fresco—or at least I made a cup of hot tea or two to fuel me on into rounds of snow removal of various kinds. A slideshow of the storm from hell, the second big October snow of my years here.
Do any of you recall the October 4, 1987 storm in the Northeast? I do. I’d just bought my place and had enough time here on weekends to break my back cleaning it up from its overgrown, jungle-like state in the hopes of making a garden. One weekend night I heard shotguns–dozens of them, all at once–or so I thought. It was the sound of the forest around me collapsing, a tree at a time, plenty of which (including an 80-foot maple) fell into my “cleaned-up” yard.
This time, I suppose I got lucky. No power for a night and a day (back then it was for a week); lots of crushed shrubs and garden-sized trees, many of which I hope will live to outgrow it (too soon to tell still, as much of the 18 or so inches that fell is still here, and heavy).
Between generator duty and shoveling and so on, I took a few photos of the areas close to the house (I don’t have the heart to inspect the outer areas yet; I’m waiting till the snow melts). Click on the first thumbnail to start the show, then toggle from slide to slide using the arrows on your keyboard or the ones beside each caption.
I hope that all of you are safe, and that those of you still without power—including my neighbors in most of the adjacent counties here—are restored soon, homes and gardens basically intact.
Please know I viewed your photos with empathy and horror even though the images are quite beautiful. My home is in central NJ but I was at Cape Cod for the weekend so my husband phoned me from home to tell me about how our young Magnolia and Crepe Myrtle were bending to the ground; he then sent me photos from his iPhone. I thought I would faint. I asked him to very gently start taking the snow from the branches. They are still tilted way way forward (I’m home now so eye witness) and I am so hoping they bounce back to their normal shape and stature. Shrubs are smooshed and splayed. Fingers crossed.
Gorgeous pictures. Things like this are a blunt reminder that we have very little control over our lives. I hope the clean-up is quick and relatively painless, and am glad you are safe.
Glad to hear you have power restored. I hope the warmer temps this week will melt away those inches and allow your trees and shrubs to rebound.
Reminds me of of the 30″ 1991 Halloween storm in Minnesota when I was a teenager. Good times, but we had power and heat. I can’t help but thinking that so many people could have power is we had a government-funded solar panel on each house plan going on. Or those mini wind turbines. At least to get the heat on.
Spectacular winter wonderland photos. The shovel handle peaking out from the drift tells the story. Keep warm.
Wow. Your pictures are gorgeous but so crazy to see fall leaves underneath all that heavy snow. I wish you luck with clean up and hope everything pulls through well.
It’s too bad that moisture doesn’t get dispersed around the country better ;) we are so dry here in the Midwest. I’m praying for rain though ….not snow.
Heavy, wet snow in the winter is bad enough — but to have it hit now just seems plain cruel. I’m sure your beings appreciated whatever help you could give during the storm.
“Natural pruning” — hah! Good luck to all of you. This one spared us in central Maine (only about 4″).
Do I ever remember the October 1987 storm. I had just purchased my property in Sheffield, was up here to meet with contractors, stayed with friends in Falls Village. I drove back to the city, slaloming thru fallen trees, downed wires — it was a nightmare. But the damage from this one is tragic with beautiful, leaf-laden trees shattered across the Berkshires. I fortunately have power and heat…but many don’t and won’t for a few more days. This is not anyone’s favorite time to be heat-less. And my garden is a winter wonderland…with snow sticking! But enough protected so not too much damage to trees and shrubs that I can see.
Thanks for pictures that tell the story oh so well. Can spring be far away?????
I don’t mind snowstorms in winter, but when they strike out of season and do so much damage, it really makes me sad. My friends in Natick, Mass have a yard that is worthy of Better Homes and Gardens. They’ve been perfecting it for almost 40 years. The snowstorm took down some huge branches that were still in full leaf and they crashed down onto their 18 year old Japanese Peony tree, crushing it to the ground. They said the blossoms this past summer were as big as a dinner plate. They feel like they’ve lost a best friend. Sure hope your plantings make it. My hat’s off to you getting that generator going. You are the pioneer woman!!!
this is much much too early! brave girl!
I am scared even to think about it…
Thank you for the photos. My prayers are with you and all those affected by this crazy storm. What weird weather all over the nation this entire year! Be brave and thanks for your website.
Christina
Beautiful but….especially when you are the only one to take care of all the chores. I feel your pain with your trees and shrubs. Your magnolia was so pretty when I visited hopefully it did not get too much damage. I had shrubs and small trees that I knocked the snow off and when I went out the following day they were down to the ground too. Good luck with clean up!
We had 12 inches in Chester NJ but most trees had leaves which caused considerable damage. I lost my 7 year old Ibezia, Four new hydrangia standards,
many limbs off the 300 year old sycamore tree that hit my skylight of my newly finished conservatory (one week from inspection….) I had clematis, roses and about a dozen other plants still blooming. Had the Victorian conservatory table that was in the garden moved hours before snow started from under a tree that would have cracked the top if I had left it out there… nothing like last minute….. Will have to re schedule calender for October snow by mid month, since this is the third winter we have had snow fall (albeit not this much) however I have been under construction for three years and every time the paint job is finishing, (Like now) we have had snow… I hope you didn’t loose too many trees and shrubs. Your property is so beautiful it’s such a pity when things that have been nutured are destroyed in seconds.
i remember very well the october 1987 storm. we were living on a private road on top of a mountain. we woke to hear the snapping & cracking of leave-laden trees. it took us 2 days to chain saw the trees off the road so we could get down to “civilization”?. we were w/o power for 6 days. thank goodness we had a wood stove. we also had an similar april snow storm (early 90′s) after the trees “leafed out”. another 4 days w/o power.
Margaret, Love the way you made tea with generator power! Way to go. We live in Jersey, and received about 8 inches. I worry about all the little birds that didn’t migrate yet – they must be freezing their tailfeathers off!
Nice to see you, Ewa, and thank you. Crazy days lately between rain and now this.
Sounds like we had the same experience in ’87, Judith. What a weekend and time that was.
Hi, Treesrock. I’m with you — this doesn’t look like any form of pruning I would recommend, natural or otherwise!
The nature of the beast, one can never take it for granted, as it is ever changing and challenging, hope all turns out well.
Margaret, Brrr……there is some beauty to it, but it just makes me feel cold when I look at your slides. I wondered when I heard about the storm where your property might be in it all. Guess the pictures tell the story. Glad there was no significant damage. Will hope too that your plants and frogs all survive nature’s snow tantrum.
Keep the tea pot going! : )
I heard about this on the radio and when I told my honey he didn’t believe me…until the next days newspaper. We had one of those surprise snowstorms a couple of years ago and all the bent shrubs and trees soon recovered. Like babies with the cuteness factor, it’s a good thing the results are so beautiful.
Hi,Happy Winter!!! Living in Wisconsin, we are usually one of the first hit with the snow..But we will get our share…
Have a strange question.. I have recently taken apart the patio garden. And I had planted one of those Sweet Potato Vines…It was a first time for me..And I was really surprised to find a big bunch of sweet potatos on the roots.
My question is: Can you eat them? They seem to be much lighter in color, than regular ones.
Just wondering..Thanks
Oh margaret, I am thinking of you and hope the lasting damage is not too great. We were lucky in the Finger Lakes, no snow yet.
I’ll never forget the ’87 storm. No power for about a week, a 1 month old baby and a 23 month old baby. We’d just moved in about 2 days before. Nothing was unpacked, and then we all started to get sick. I’d trade for a broken tree any day! Luckily, no damage here from this storm. We only got about 3″ (north of you here, Margaret).
I forgot to mention my crab apple trees have been adorned with robins feeding as the ground is covered with snow and they can’t get to much more. It was one of the pluses of the storm.
You sure weren’t kidding when you told us during your lecture at Planting Fields last week about the upcoming snowstorm . Since we didn’t get anything here in Northport Long Island but rain & a little bit of sleet I figured you’d been wrong. And then I watched & read the news. Wow! I’m so sorry for you & all the other people who suffered from this storm.
Just got mail from NYBG & it seems they got hit with devastating loses.
Don’t forget the Advil. I take it before I go out to garden. Why wait until after?
Hello Margaret,
We haven’t met yet, but I’m close by in Tivoli.
The first tree I planted in my garden is a Magnolia and by now it’s really high – maybe 30 feet – and the storm doubled it over. I was horrified. How could the limbs not break and snap in two? A Kousa dogwood lost two major branches which I had to saw away for good. It broke my heart.
But the good news is that the Magnolia has bounced back! And so have my shrubs and other trees. A lesson right out of Lao Tsu…We here in Tivoli did not have anything near the snow you had, but power and Internet were out for a good long time. That’s ok as long as my trees are sound.
Enjoy your blog. Thanks for writing.
Bettina
Wow! I won’t tell you what weather we’re having. I hope everything recovers and you get some rest!
Ooooh Margaret..I feel sick looking at these pictures. I have weathered several hideous events here, so all I can tell you is that this too shall pass. Hey, it keeps us humble! (Personal utopia? Phooey. Take this.) Somehow, after taking our licking, we get right back out there and resume the toil. And we’re rewarded, all over again, by the miraculous resilience of nature.
It’s hard to believe you got this much snow when we might get our first FROST tomorrow night.
Now that you’ve had your trick, I hope you have a wonderful treat this Halloween!
Nice to meet you, Bettina — I feel as if we have friends in common maybe … ????? Sounds like your experience and mine are the same. Magnolia is a trooper, surprisingly. Kousa takes some hits. Sigh. See you soon, yes?
Within a year, here in NJ, we had a 32″ blizzard, 108′F record heat, felt the earthquake in Va, Hurricane Irene and now 8″ of snow in Oct. (not 18″ Thank God). I will throw in the towel when the frogs descend on front lawn!
This is heartbreaking, Margaret! I keep my fingers crossed for all your shrubs and trees.
They take so many years to show their spectacular beauty and after a snow storm it’s dreadful to go out to count the losses. I hope your trees (and you) are fine(and warm).
Margaret I’m so sorry that your beautiful gardens have been hit so hard. It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I guess this is going to be a very good example of a gardener’s resilience. My hope is that when the snow melts it turns out that it looked worse than it actually is. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
WoW, wOw, WoW… that’s a heap of WhiTe STuF !! Looks like Mother Nature had it in her head to dress up as The Snow Queen for Halloween. Stay warm, be safe, feel blessed.
I’m sorry, Margaret, that your garden took such a hit and the power went out. I was just glad that it wasn’t here in what is called the Snowbelt for a change. I’ve experienced damage in the past from branches brought down in ice storms. However, while you were watching the flakes fly, I was cooking a vegetable and sausage stew in a Cinderella pumpkin. Quite good my family shared with me..
Greetings and sympathy from the Cascade Mountains in the PNW. Isn’t it amazing how we, plants and otherwise, manage to survive what Nature dishes out? Margaret, your garden and your blog are an inspiration to all of us. Keep us posted with pictures. You have a cast of thousands rooting for you!
Hi, Bill. Yes, the earthquake was wacky here, too, and the deluges and now this. The new abnormal, as they say.
Hi, Gigi. Thank you for your warming words! Will endeavor to plug away if this stuff ever melts…
Yes, Jeanne, she is dressed in white, you are correct. Thank you for your nice words.
Nice to see you, Kathy. Thanks for having an eye out for me!
Welcome, Bev. You are so right! Good to be philosophical right now and see the larger picture of constant change.
Been there done that and didn’t like it any better than you are. The last time was in mid-eighties and late in the winter. Hearing the shot gun blast sounds of mature trees snapping is my clearest memory,that and figuring out that the ancient furnace that was still in the Victorian era house could be turned off and on manually giving us a toasty warm house while others were freezing. They were literally freezig-water pipes breaking and doing no end to interior damage. Finally my hubby got home and was able to fire up the generator so we also had lights.We were the only ones around so people brought babies and pet birds to have me care for them. Really! I loaned the baby people our RV. The birds I sheltered. Family and very close friends and neighbors slept on the sofas, floors and benches for a few days. We are in the old part of town and newr the hospitals so we got power much faster than most so the neighbors went home but some waited 3 weeks for repair. The plant life looked like a KS tormado had gone through but it all came back and no signs of it remain. It took a lot of pruning to get things symetrical again and I guess that went on for a couple of years but once new growth took off it all lived. We are to have some light snow today with maybe 60 mph wind which I’m not really buying into so we shall see. That could be a blessing as we still have most of our foilage too. I keep wondering what has happened to all your tree peepers. Are they stuck in snow banks not to be seen until spring? My big trip back east to see the color was for a mid to late Oct wedding. That could have been a disaster but it was the prettiest wedding I’ve ever been to, being held on that old bridge where the first shots of the Revolution took place. Well, an old woman rambling has to stop. Prayers for full recovery for your botanical friends coming your way. I’m out to bring in the last of the wintering over gang. .
Awesome photos. I love the snow but we do not get too much in the valley out here in Oregon.
We just got power back last night here in CT (and we are lucky) – and I spent a good part of the very sunny day today assessing the damage… going to lose 3-4 smaller trees 2 cherries, a redbud, and maybe a plum- and have to do some creative pruning on a whole bunch of others. The enclosure that surrounds my vegetable garden collapsed, and have lots of big and heavy limbs down.
Any thoughts about Hydrangeas (H. mac. specifically). My limelights actually seemed to tolerate it okay, but the H. macs. are in rough shape, so many broken branches. I’m thinking about cutting them way back, even though this means likely sacrificing blooms next year, in order to save them. I’d love to know what you think!
Welcome, Gayla. I see that you have plenty of experience with this (and you sound like Doctor Doolittle with caring for all the animals and so on, very sweet). Each day more melting reveals more broken branches and tops and so on, but I am going to be optimistic as you say that it will mostly bounce back after some pruning and time.
Welcome, Kratom Plants. You have some wonderful growing conditions out that way — soil and weather. It’s good here, too, except these “little” issues occasionally, tee hee.
See you both again soon.
It was savagely beautiful, was it not? But the popping and crackling of trees was indeed upsetting. We were spared the power outage, and even better, our focussed slapping and shaking of snow laden apple tree branches seems to have paid off. No apparent damage! Hope your post-storm inventory reveals similar happy endings.
at the end of day 6 in Chester NJ, electric on only today and still not in surrounding areas, the snow is still on the ground but the melt is revealing many damages. So many shrubs crushed or sliced in half by falling branches, half the trees in town and on all side streets were sheared or completely up rooted, many gardens obliterated. I’m not sure when a large shrub is cut into two and a whole chunk of a ten foot section is missing whether that kind of damage comes back? Finally many shrubs of 10 -15 years had come into their own this year and the best were severley damaged by falling large branches. Two years ago I had a willow mishaped by pruning crew, too heavily cut , ending up looking like a goulish form (all large topiary forms in the garden 8 of them were beautiful ) and these after two years are still mishapen and I doubt will grow corectly ever again , leaves me to think the damages are not all solvable. Margaret , can you well document your damages for us? it would be good to photo shoot the damages and let us see how they possibly will regrow as part of this blog. This will be very insightful and invaluable tool to those of us suffering a similar fate. You have a laboratory of fine shrubs and trees so it will be a very good thing to instruct some of your techniques for repair and regrowth.
That is truly shocking. I am a bit North West of you and when I got to the house on Monday the only snow left was a crust on the lawns. By Tuesday afternoon it was all gone. Your higher altitude and being situated on the side of a hill must be the explanation for the lingering snow. I hope you are mostly melted by now.