In one of my posts after Tropical Storm Irene, I included photos of my smashed garden. The plants did look pretty sad, so a few days ago, I went in there with my sleeves rolled up, prepared to yank out the dead stuff.
New growth emerging
I was just about to pull the beaten-up morning glories. I actually had my hand on a stem and I was starting to pull… when I took the trouble to look at what I was pulling. Lo and behold, there were new leaves sprouting all up and down the stem! So I apologized and moved on.
Another survivor
The zinnias took quite a beating, and the foliage is admittedly quite yucky, but how can I pull out something with a flower like this? They’re staying.
Echinacea "Virgin"
This echinacea “Virgin” is a tough little plant – in my humble opinion, a vast improvement over “White Swan.” The flower is slightly tattered, but it’s still a flower, and there are more to come.
Rudbeckia "Henry Eilers"
And my new rudbeckia “Henry Eilers” is coming back beautifully. As with the other perennials, I cut off the dead stems and staked it. It looks a bit weary, but it’s covered with new flowers.
Verbena bonariensis
And the verbena bonariensis, on the windward side of our house, was completely covered in salt spray. Now, there are new flowers emerging from what I assumed were dead stems.
If there are lessons to be learned here, they are: patience – something we gardeners do not always have enough of – and looking carefully at your plants to see what’s really going on. It took about a week for the plants to show signs of revival, but a revival it definitely is.
Digging RI 
The resilience of Mother Nature’s leafy children is amazing, isn’t it? They take a beating and keep on keeping on… You gotta love ‘em.
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I do love them, Martha, and now I respect them even more for their incredible resilience.
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These are the troupers in your garden, dirtynailz. You gotta love ’em is right, Martha. Doesn’t it feel good to see those little sprouts and beautiful flowers?
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It does feel good, CJ. You’re right about them being the real troopers. That’s one of the reasons I’m getting away from fussy plants and into the little toughies.
By the way, speaking of “little toughies,” it looks like my last hummingbird departed this week. I’ll miss them.
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His departure marks a cycle and, as all gardeners know, we watch them carefully and with great respect. The departure signals anticipation for their return. I mark the year by my garden and the little critters as much as by my calendar. More so, in many ways. They are all part of God’s celestial clock.
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You are so right about the celestial clock. We think we have everything so controlled, but in reality, nothing is….
I also love marking the seasons with natural cycles – the geese getting restless on the marsh, etc.
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