Big freeze cleanup: before and after (continued)

As mentioned, the valentine's freeze knocked a whole lotta plants on their ass, and while they may be down, they're not out.

Here are a bunch of other before and after photos (now with more "4 weeks of recovery" photos).  I've been a busy bee getting plants removed or cut back, that's for sure.  Only really got the front yard to still do...and the part in the back that leads to the secondary compost bin.  So that's still like another 4-weekends' worth or work.

This is some giant petunia that I intentionally planted here when the tree guys cut back the red tip photinia and it suddenly felt like everyone from the street could see into the yard.  It isn't the Mexican variety (leaves are bigger and it's purple instead of a pinkish purple), but it's most definitely invasive. I found it once in the volunteer botanical garden in Key West and it was labeled as "carolina petunia" so who knows what type it was. In any case, the freeze didn't really kill it - just knocked it down to the roots, but I figured it was as good of time as any to try to actually remove it entirely. So I did. It definitely took the whole weekend and required that I dig out the roots and all - and it most definitely was still alive and would have been going gangbusters if I hadn't removed it 

After all the petunia was removed, but before I cut back the chile pequin. I also mulched this area, but since I had started in on the grass corner right afterward, I ended up creating another compost pile in this area. I didn't think you needed a picture of a compost pile.

The grass corner.  I never cut back my grasses. This is because I am lazy. But with the freeze having knocked back all the grasses, and potentially having offed the Bamboo Muhly, I decided to actually cut everything back.

Post hair cut and post mulching. You can see the bird bath again. I've left the Caldwell Pink rose alone for now since it doesn't seem to bloom if I cut it back in the spring. I figure I'll let it bloom and then severely cut it back as well.

With a few weeks of recovery growth.  The plants all growing in front of the bird bath are mostly false day flower or widows tears or something. It is taking over, but is really easy to pull out so I'm leaving it for now.  There is also a poppy or two in the mix.  The bamboo muhly DID survive, btw, but only from the roots.

The cat was not happy about the grass cut back - she would spend most of her day in this corner area because the grasses would create a nice little bower that was protected from the elements, and so we'd find her sleeping in the area she used to, only completely huddled up because it wasn't as warm as it used to be. She is happy all the plants are coming back.

This part usually isn't damaged by freezes since it's got a huge turk's cap plant along the fence, and a yaupon holly close to the temp gage.  Since the freeze knocked the Turks cap to the ground though, it needed to be cleaned.

After cutting everything to the ground and mulching. I posted some of these photos to instagram and everyone was asking what I planned on planting in the newly mulched area. And the answer is NOTHING! Because the Turks cap is still there and alive.

And you can see the Turks cap starting to come back.  You'll also notice that the cast iron plant is looking a little worse for the wear (or as my dad says every time he's been over since the freeze, "I think your succulents are dead." - I don't know why he insists on thinking cast iron plant is a succulent, but whatever).

The front walk area before. Notice the dead, overgrown rosemary front and center.

Post clean up and most areas mulched. The rosemary has been removed, and while that was, indeed, a plant that I killed at least 3 times before I could get it to grow, I'm not sure that I need to race out and get a new one. One: you can't find any rosemary because EVERYONE I'd looking for replacements, and Two: I don't use it that much.  I've actually decided that I think I'll do my herbs on a rotation - I'll grow them for a few years harvesting and drying as I go, and when the plant is big and gnarly, I'll just pull it out and start over with a different type.