The only thing missing last week was a house landing on a witch. The state of Connecticut is recovering from the powerful rain and windstorm that tore through Westport last weekend, bringing down trees, power lines and flooding our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods.
Rosebrook Gardens, although never lost power, was not exempt from this Old Man Winter storm, as three sections of my back fence took flight and headed towards my neighbor’s back yard. I was lucky, but many throughout our state were not, with damage to their homes, cars, and property in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Sunday morning, after my live segment on Good Morning Connecticut, I put my Hunter boots on and assessed my own property, taking photos of the aftermath. I found myself sad and depressed as I ventured out of my own neighborhood to discover “the morning after” effects. Many old historical trees that so proudly graced my town either snapped, broke, collapsed or uprooted. I felt their pain and loss as many could have been saved if only property owners did their part to trim and maintain their elderly trees. I don’t mean to be harsh, but why do we take their beauty for granted and simply discard them when they fall? Lose a tree, plant two in their place is my mantra.
And to add insult to injury, I learned just north of Westport, in Black Rock, area vandals took a chainsaw to 15 Sycamore trees, ringing them a few inches deep — just enough to weaken them during the storm or kill them in the months to come. Fate would have it that none would fall prey to the high winds, yet we can only hope for a miracle to save them as the odds are bleak that they will survive.
Sometimes it takes losing a tree(s) before people realize their importance, and how impossible it is to replace a large, established tree. Now don’t get me wrong, there will always be a tree here and there that falls unexpectedly, but it’s not that difficult to be proactive. If we notice them and perhaps cable them, fertilize them when they are sick, or trim them to build strength then maybe, just maybe, they would have a better chance. The gift of love and attention to your tree is one that will forever reward you. Know that just like us, they too feel pain and need the support of others to survive.
So I ask you today to “blow me away” so to speak and plant a tree or make a commitment to adopt a tree or plant a tree for you, a friend or even neighbor. No matter how small or large it may be, do this and find yourself giving a gift that keeps on giving for years to come. Create a legacy celebrating birthdays, deaths and accomplishments.
Walking through my garden today, touching the trees, the bark, and discovering the blooms that await spring tell me that Rosebrook Gardens will soon have a rebirth. Her magical display of beauty will hopefully attract others to their beauty and commitment. I love them, I tend to them and I watch them grow as I’m sure they too peek through my windows proudly knowing that should they need me, I won’t need to be “blown away” to be there for them.
