Restoration Begins After Snowmageddon Wreaks Havoc on This Backyard Paradise

Welcome to the 639th Metamorphosis Monday, a blog party sharing fabulous Before and Afters!

This past year has been pretty unprecedented in many ways. Sometimes life feels like a giant test and you never know what it’s gonna throw at you next. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the crazy Snowmageddon that hit Texas in February.

My friend, Teresa, who lives in the great state of Texas, was fortunately prepared for the loss of electricity since she has a generator that kept things humming during the multi-day power outage. When she and her hubby, Frank, heard about the storm that was headed their way, they did all they could to try and protect their outdoor plantings and landscape.

Frank began wrapping the trunks of the pretty palm trees that surround their backyard pool. Such a gorgeous backyard! Frank also ended up covering the pretty plants at the base of the palms hoping to protect them against the cold weather that was on the way.

 

Down one side of their backyard, there’s a beautiful screening hedge of Japanese Blueberry shrubs/trees. They aren’t the type that actually bears blueberries, but they make a beautiful screening hedge. In the background near the birdhouses, Teresa has Bird of Paradise growing alongside a California Fan Palm.

 

Every morning, sweet Ellie goes out for a few minutes to enjoy her lovely backyard and to sharpen her claws on one of the Blueberry trees. 🙂 The red flowers on her left are called Firecrackers. Love that name!

 

Here’s another area where Teresa and Frank are using Blueberry trees for screening. I just love how these look! Do you have or grow Blueberry trees in your area?

 

After the Storm, February 15, 2021

I doubt Miss Ellie was interested in going out the morning this occurred! Arggh! When the snow and ice arrived, there was nothing Teresa and Frank could do but wait to see how everything fared through the intense cold.

 

Having enough snow to actually build a snowman is truly a rare event in Texas, so Frank and Teresa made the most of it! I love that they were able to keep their sense of humor despite not knowing how their backyard was going to look once the ice and snow melted.

 

Facing the Aftermath

When the warm Texas sun finally reappeared and melted all the snow and ice, it was time to assess the damage. It appeared the plants underneath the palm trees didn’t do so well.

 

During the storm, as the ice layered atop the snow, Frank and Teresa could hear the branches of their palm trees breaking. I know that sickening sound because anytime we get a big snowstorm followed by ice here in Georgia, the same thing happens to the branches on the Southern Magnolia tree in my front yard. It’s just the worst sound ever and there’s really nothing you can do to prevent it.

 

Clean-up Begins

Sadly, the Palm trees didn’t make it. Teresa said, “We still don’t know if the Date Palm will return but the 6 Piru Palms are dead and will be removed.”

 

The thick, lush hedge of Blueberry trees didn’t survive the snow/ice either. Below the dead branches were all being removed so the trees could be dug out.

 

Teresa and Frank decided to go back with more Blueberry trees since they had previously created such a beautiful screening hedge for their backyard.

 

Here are the newly installed trees. I had never heard of Blueberry trees but I do love how they look! I wonder if they will grow here in Georgia or if it gets too cold here?

 

These Blueberry trees are 7- feet tall so they should grow and fill back in quickly. Teresa said that to keep them nice and dense for a hedge, they need to be trimmed every so often. Trimming them across the top will force them to fill out.

 

The Blueberry trees are already providing a good bit of screening as you can see in the picture below.

 

In the end, Teresa and Frank lost 11 Blueberry Trees and 6 Palm Trees to the big Texas Snomaggedon, a storm I’m sure no one in Texas will soon forget! I think in the end they declared it a 500-year (or, was it 1,000-year) event, so hopefully, nothing like this will happen again for a gazillion years!

I hope Teresa will share new photos once they re-landscape this beautiful pool area. Sad to see it like this but I’m sure Teresa and Frank have some great plans in mind for bringing this area back to its former glory.

 

Miss Ellie is very happy to have her Blueberry trees back in place, although I think it will be a year or two before she can use her outdoor scratching post again. 😉

 

Looking forward to all the great Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

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Metamorphosis Monday

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Comments

  1. Sad about the trees and plants. Super cute that they wrapped the trunks.

    And I want to thank you for the referral — the guy came out promptly, fixed the problem in five seconds, and took off.

    Love having a garage door that works!!

  2. How sad to see all this devastation. Glad they were able to replace all the trees and shrubs. They have a good sense of humor to create snowmen! I give them credit!

  3. The name “Blueberry tree” is somewhat deceptive. The botanical name is Elaeocarpus decipiens –https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/79574/. I don’t know what zone you’re in, but I suspect the plant would be a little too tender for your area, since I know you get snow. I’ve never seen it locally, but the info suggests that it would grow here in zone 9b.

    • Per that link, Blueberry Tree is its common name. My eyes glaze over at Elaeocarpus decipiens! I’ll stick with Blueberry Tree, thank you very much. 😉

  4. What a shame.

  5. Jackie Allen says

    Teresa and Frank – I am so sorry you lost so much!!!
    We live in Dallas and I spent the last few weekends digging up roots – we lost most of our bushes around our pool area too!!! No to mention our pool filter.

    The storm was so devastating! Once the power went out our pool frozen in an hour. So solid that you could walk across it.

    Here’s to new landscaping. Thank you for sharing your pictures.
    -Jackie

    • Teresa M. says

      Thank you. That’s crazy that your pool water iced over hard enough to walk on. I hope all is well.
      My landscaper had the saddest face when they went around checking the plants but then he smiled and said, “good for me”. The garden centers and landscapers are still catching up.

  6. WOW, I had no idea that the snow snowstorm in Texas had been so bad and so cold. I’s always a shame when your big trees–which are part of your family–die unexpectedly due to weather. But it looks like Teresa and Frank–like all tough and resilient Texans–are on the road to recovery, and they will build back with more beautiful landscaping.

  7. franki Parde says

    Oh, my dear…that is truly heartwretching particularly when you think of your plants…as friends…I even name many of mine. Very BEST wishes…franki

  8. Oh that is so sad…I have a good friend whose neighborhood was destroyed in a Spring tornado, it will take decades for the landscape not to look barren…it has been a wicked weather year!

  9. SharonFromMichigan says

    I pray that this wasn’t a glimpse of what future changing weather patterns can do. Those of us that live in the north take the hard winters for granted and are prepared for them. I would be devastated if I lost so much landscaping to one event!

  10. Oh that’s just heartbreaking! Teresa and Frank have a great attitude – it must have been awful. Thanks for sharing this Susan. I hope we do get to see the reconstructed landscaping – it’s a beautiful yard!

  11. Such beautiful landscaping – I’m sure it was heartbreaking to lose so much. I love how Theresa and Frank have flowers/greenery planted in the same pots as their tomato/herbs! (At least that’s how it appears) Creative idea! I’ve no doubt they will come back with just as beautiful of a landscaping as before if not more so. Thank you for sharing!

  12. Well that is pretty sad to see. Glad they replanted and are getting things back in order right away. Kind of funny that what you refer to as a ‘California’ fan palm is called a Mexican fan palm here in CA.

  13. I visited the Houston area after the freezing temps. It was so sad to see many tropicals lost there, too. We in Arkansas are dealing with a lot of azalea and rose bush damage and loss from the same storm that hit Texas. Your friends have a beautiful backyard. I hope they will share pictures again.

  14. It’s a shame about the trees and shrub. But the beauty of their yard still shines through!

  15. Blueberry trees will grow in your zone. https://minnetonkaorchards.com/japanese-blueberry-trees/

  16. Cyndi Raines says

    Oh my! Such loss, so very sad for you. However, you had the right attitude in making snowmen, good for pictures and story telling. I am sure your yard will be beautiful again, you are off to a great start. Your pool area is awesome. I lived in the Dallas area for 7 years before moving back to MI and count it as a special blessing in my life. Texas is such a great state, with great people. I do miss it, but all my family is here, so thus the move. The very best to you Theresa and your hubby as you begin again.

  17. Thanks for hosting this lovely party each week!!! It is truly appreciated as I know how much time is involved!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  18. I hope your homeowner’s insurance paid for such loss. Florida had a big freeze in 1989. Devastating. I try to find Christmas lights that produce heat, not LED, to put on trees and shrubs when temps drop.
    Beautiful property. Thank goodness for generators.

  19. Japanese Blueberry trees are hardy Zone 8-11. No lower than 15 degrees for short period of time. Beautiful pool. And no your homeowners insurance will not cover freeze damage to plants. The nurseries in Dallas are popping at the seams with people replacing their damaged landscaping.

  20. Thanks so much for hosting. I can’t believe it’s snowing so late in the season. Hopefully, everything will be covered but I know it’s a ton of work to have to replace everything. I hope your week is a blessed one, CoCo

  21. A few days late in arriving; how sad that this occurred. Living in the great white North as I do in late Fall we wrap/cover our shrubs etc. in burlap to protect them from Mother Nature being frost/snow/freezing rain and cold temps. (It can be purchased in rolls so is easy to store/handle and most hardware stores carry it.) So glad they were able to replace the privacy hedge and such a beautiful backyard. Wish we could grow Palms …. ☺. -Brenda-

  22. Jill Brewster says

    I love the Japanese blueberry trees. Wondering what a tree the size of their new trees cost per tree? I live in North Texas and wonder if they would do well here.

  23. My sister told me that 2020 was the year from hell, and 2021 was the year hell froze over !
    seems so true for your sweet friend!

    • Alda, that describes it perfectly! That’s the best description I’ve heard to describe the last 1-1/2 years. I’m sure Teresa would agree!

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