Sunday, June 06, 2010

It's Amazing . . .


. . . what five minutes of soft, pea-sized hail can do to irises. These were all brand new to us this year after planting them last fall - the rhyzomes were a gift from our friendly "iris lady." They were doing so well - and I think the ones that are "pending" will be okay when the sun comes back out. But it's sad. I have been thinking all afternoon, ever since the hail hit, that if it feels this bad to lose a few flowers, how awful it must be to be the victim of a tornado or hurricane!



























































I was going to go out and get a shot of this one this afternoon, but I didn't even have a chance.







19 comments:

Amy said...

The weather has been a bit freaky this year.

I'm sorry about your poor flowers.

Linds said...

Your irises were stunning, and I hope the others are ok, Dawn. I LOVE the yellow and red ones! You never know - the battered ones may survive. Our deluge here didn't have any hail, but everything in the garden is flat. Hopefully the plants will summon the strength to get up again.

Susan said...

Oh my!!! What a good analogy of what "throwing stones" (speaking unkind words) can do to others.

Dawn said...

Good thought, Susan!

Freaky is right, Amy. We heard last night that the snow is melting so fast in the mountains, because it has turned hot so suddenly, that they're sandbagging the Big Thompson River up in Estes Park. They've suffered up there from 2 floods already in the past 3 years.

nannykim said...

Ah well, I am sure they will come up next year. One forgets, at times, how hail can come and then ruin so much. I thought about it the other day when we heard a lot of rumbling in the distance. I thought about how much damage it could do to all my flowers, herbs and veggies! We take so much for granted!

Glenda said...

Beautiful irises! Sorry about the damage from the hail, but maybe they will recover. I agree that the weather is acting very strangely this year. We are already have extreme heat here this summer; can't imagine what August will be like.

Needled Mom said...

Oh my goodness, Dawn. They really did take a hit from that hail. I am so glad that you had some "before" pictures to compare them for us.

Robin said...

Oh, they look so bruised and beaten. Poor things - I hope they recover.

Sam said...

I've been so grumpy because a hard rain completely ruined my peonies! I waited all year for them and then they were gone so quickly!

Thanks for putting it in perspective by pointing out how devastating it would be to be hit by a tornado or hurricane! Rain ruining my pretty peonies really doesn't compare!

Carole Burant said...

Oh no, your poor flowers! They were so gorgeous, what a shame that hail storm had to come by:-( It's either bugs or the weather, I don't think I'd ever want to be a farmer who relies on his crops to make a living. I've never seen so many beautiful colours of Irises, hopefully some have survived and that the weather settles down and realizes that it's almost Summer!! xoxo

Linda said...

Oh dear Dawn. They really were so beautiful. I like your perspective though. I looked at pictures of the places where the tornadoes went through this weekend. It is hard to get your mind around such devastation.
I'm happy to think there are more irises yet to bloom!

Gigi said...

Wow...that's so sad. They were so beautiful. :( Hopefully, some (most? *fingers crossed*) will be able to recover!

Jess said...

wow. hail can be bad even in small size!

Hope all is well with you Dawn...i have been a bad blogger! LOL

Love, jess

Sue Seibert said...

Oh, no, nasty hail!! Irises beautiful before!

Hootin Anni said...

Still, it's all so beautiful Dawn. Even with the damage, you have to take the good with the bad....or visa versa. Glorious blossoms.

It's been stormy here this morning. Lots of rain, and the birds are loving every minute now that the storm has passed and only a spit of rain here and there.

Today, I posted a most recent photo of my daughter...I do hope you can find time to stop by.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

Oh dear me! So sorry about the irises! But they may yet surprise you!

Ms. Kathleen said...

So sorry about your beautiful flowers. I have been out in small sized hall covering mine up on my deck but in a yard that would be so hard. I planted tulips last fall - about 25 and only 1 (ONE) survived the winter and actually bloomed. Maybe the squirrels ate some of the bulbs, I am not sure but I know many froze.

I hope most of yours came back. They are gorgeous and I know what you mean - a natural disaster -- You just praise God everyone you love is safe. HUGS!

Midlife Mom said...

The purple and white irises are just gorgeous! Well all of them are but that combination really catches my eye. I have one that just opened, a friend of mine thinned hers out and brought me some so they have had it rough but I guess I am going to get a few blossoms.

Yes, I have been having a hard time posting lately. Just sooooooo much summer stuff going on and I am too antsy to sit inside on the computer. I just want to be outside even if it is just riding my lawn mower for a couple of hours. Just to be in the warm sun (with sunscreen of course!) and see the puffy clouds floating by. We mow about three and a half acres so there is plenty to go around.

That hail is something else! Yikes! So sorry for your flowers! Can you imagine how the farmers feel when their crops get hit with it?! It must just tear things apart.

Well I must think about packing for our seminar in Tenn. Always so much to do before I leave especially with the horses. I have to leave lists of what they eat and how much and how long they can stay out etc etc! They are my babies.

The lake house should be all repainted inside by the time we get back and the furniture will be delivered on the 16th. Can't wait!!

Time to head up over the wooden hill as my mother used to say when it was time for us kids to go upstairs to bed. Funny how those old sayings pop into my head from time to time but don't ask me what I did an hour ago! :o)

Just Call Me Grammy said...

Your irises are gorgeous. I miss mine this year. We had a fence (owned by the business behind us) come down on my irises last year and smash them flat (twice). I had hoped they would come back this year, but they did not...maybe next year, or maybe I'll have to start all over. Loved seeing the pics of yours. Glad they survived the hail pretty well.