This Week's Podcast: Should I Stay or Should I Go, Now? Flood Update.
Click on the small black arrow on the bar to listen, or the MP3 to download the show:
It is the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. I
was in California when Sandy hit, and could not return to the garden in New
Jersey. But the damage was minimal, there. Not so in Brooklyn where I used to
have a house. My house was in a place called Clinton Hill – Hill is the
operative word. We were spared everything but a big mess and some downed trees
– no water surges.
I was lecturing in Colorado, recently, a
place that had suffered serious flooding, and was asked to update you on my
experiences. As many of you know, my problems happen a year earlier when
Hurricane Irene took a turn to the left and hit my island garden in the
Northwest corner of New Jersey hard. The ground was already saturated that late
summer, and the heavy rains ran off the ground to overflow the rivers and
lakes. Irene was bad with floodwaters up to four feet covering the garden. Some
trees fell right over. When the water receded, I was able to right several
trees – even a 20-foot tall red-leafed peach tree.
After the water receded, I got help from
some friends and hired three guys to clean up what we could. The river
deposited sand with trash and many pieces of saturated wood from twigs to large
sections of trees washed right up onto the damaged open area of lawn.
One week later, Tropical Storm Lee arrived,
and the damage was much worse. The high water remained on the ground for four
days.
The boiler in the basement was toast. All that compost and grass seed was
washed from the places we put it. More soil was gone. In fact, whole parts of
the garden were gone, and other beds were covered with up to two feet of coarse
sand.
Two years later, and I’m still shoveling
sand and weeding. The river brought a host of annual weeds I had never seen in
the garden before. My precious canal garden was gone. (Canal garden, before and
after with weeds, above.)
This week, I’ll bring you up to speed. The
future? Who knows with changing climate? Should I stay or should I go, now?
Stay tuned. (Follow this link for a video of the 2011 events.)
wow-that was a different show. Ruminating. I felt like I was eavesdropping on your thoughts.
I was thinking that if you were making a non-emotional decision about “should I stay or should I go?” that the Pacific NW might be the way to go. You were so enthralled with your visit there in May! And envious as to what could be grown there. And you feel another flood is “likely” where you are now. But, I get that there are the intangibles that may sway your decision.
Enjoyed seeing you at Sonnenberg last month.
Hi Ken,
I just found your podcast a couple of months ago. I have heard you speak of the flood, but I did not know the whole story until I listened to this podcast. I could not imagine the damage until I watched your video. I grew up in northern NJ so I know why you want to stay. Good luck with all of the repairs and I will keep listening!
-Dianna J.
Ken,
I just wanted to take a second and thank you for doing your podcast. I have a list of about 25 podcasts I download (I use downcast, so I’m probably not included in any stats you get). Of all those podcasts, only 4 are my regular “go-to” gardening podcasts. They include Real Dirt, A Way to Garden, All things Plants, and because I Live in the Pacific NW I have to listen to Ciscoe Morris. These four are so far above the rest. I appreciate your consistency, your honesty about the “down sides” of gardening (or maybe the truth of gardening… it is real work!) and the variety of guests you have. Sometimes I will look at the intro summary and think I Have no interest in the topic whatsoever… but I make myself listen and I have always been glad I did as I always learn things I didn’t know I should know. I’m slowly going through your books and particularly loved the propagation one. And your photography is spectacular. I really appreciate what you do and wanted to let you know. Thanks! Kelli
These floods were real learning curves for you….think you’ve made the right decision to stay there for now at least.Lots of work but so rewarding.
Hi Ken –
I’ts good to hear that you are staying strong and inventive as always. Didn’t know you have left Brooklyn. I’m sure that most of your listeners can’t help but at least think, “move here! move here!” Who wouldn’t want you as a neighbor? You are an inspirational and fun person. Anyhow – cheers to gardening and to your podcast.
Thanks,
Patrick
Waterford,CT