Postponed Plans

Monday, May 30, 2011

1 PM and a beautiful day after a slow start. The phone is ringing to find out if we are open or not as folks ask for road conditions. Yes, we are open and the major roads are back open too! The current exception is Route 14 from Barre to East Montpelier and the Transportation website says it will be a few more days. The past few days have been a blur to us beginning with last week's storm that dropped 5.66" in one night amidst a thunderstorm that lasted non stop for over 6 hours here. Subsequent rainfalls of 2" and 1" and then half an inch led us to last evening. I don't know what the rainfall was last night but more than half an inch for sure so that was quite a total....quite a week! Gail tells me last night's water covered the daylilies again but should be gone by late afternoon.



Our nursery has been open every day as our office, shade houses and potted plants sit above the Winooski River so they were not challenged by fast rising water. Keeping the flag waving was inspirational during a bad time.

I finally gave up late Friday morning as waters showed a temporary decline. I cleaned up what I could and headed home leaving Gail to handle business if there was any. At that point Route 2 was in terrible shape, kinda opened from Montpelier but closed five miles beyond us all the way to St Johnsbury.

I couldn't walk very well but after a day in recovery the honey bees appeared to be alive and doing better than me even though the entire hive was under water for how long I do not know. My problem was that during a week of turmoil I fell off a ladder and broke my right tibia. It was a weird break and not a good way to start a growing season but things happen. I handle pain and kept telling myself the little pain I felt would go away. Returning home with the reality a leg cast offers didn't bring smiles but with this much trouble in a week, things have to get better.

If you look through the trees in these pictures you can see the Winooski River that in places swelled to hundreds upon hundreds of feet wide. At our place the water receded and then came up again last night so I never have really checked out the hosta and daylily display gardens. I know a lot of hostas are someplace between here and the mouth of the Winooski and I hope some readers can give reports sometime in the future about interesting finds among questions of "How'd this get here?"
If you look at the back of this daylily growing field, you'll see the river taking down our fence in the corner. At this point I cannot tell if fencing or lost plants was the biggest monetary loss but in another week when I can get around better, I'll answer that question too.

In the meantime, friends are asking, writing, calling about what they can do. As I write, friends Mike and Michelle are helping get the grass mowed and the water system replumbed. They are a no nonsense couple and relentless workers. They make me feel guilty and in fact called this morning to verify that I did not drive by their house at 7 and that I was in fact in bed with my leg raised. Quite the pair!

Customers are few and far between because there has been so much damage but calls are coming in and people will return soon. If you are out and about, stop by 2263 US Route 2 and say hi to Gail. As always, one of us will be there every day. Our tag line says it all:
Selling Hardy Plants to Hardy Vermonters and Their Friends!

Thanks for your support!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
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At VFF we'll help you GROW your GREEN THUMB!