The gardens have survived several natural disasters including floods,
fire, lightning, mudslides and windstorm damage.
Bush fires caused by burning of trash in neighboring areas caused
the gardens to be burned totally to the ground in 1988 and 1989.
Only five live oak trees are left from before that time although
most bulbs and perennials survived. A fire prevention system with
a six-inch deep aquifer well was put in place after that time to
cover the entire 8 acres of the gardens. In addition, almost all
trees are pruned to about ten feet above the ground to prevent
potential ground fires in the mulch from catching the trees on
fire. Although there have been several occasions since that time
when nearby fires sent ash into the gardens or firecrackers were
launched from surrounding properties into the gardens, the system
has prevented any additional fires.
The gardens have been severely flooded several times. In 1995, after over
three feet of rain in 2 weeks from Tropical Storms Alberto and
Beryl, the southern gardens were flooded to a depth of eight feet
in places and several areas remained in standing water for over
five years until a severe drought struck the area after 2000.
In 2008, the northern gardens were badly damaged after 30 inches
of rain from Tropical Storm Fay caused a wall of water to come
over the hill above the gardens from neighboring properties.
The floodwaters carved large gullies in the northern gardens,
washed away hundreds of plants and buried many others under
mudslides. In March 2009 and January 2010, record rainfalls
flooded both the northern and southern gardens. Additional
drainage swales were built after each flood to divert waters from
the gardens.
The gardens have been hit by two small F1 tornadoes, one in late
summer 2004 spun off from Hurricane Ivan and the other in March
2009. Over 150 trees were lost to the two tornadoes including
most of the dogwoods, tulip poplars, and sweetgums, a number of
oaks and all the wax myrtles and willows.
Lightning has destroyed two well pumps, five pump control systems,
two large pine trees and a sugar maple and damaged several other
trees since 1988.
Annual temperatures in the gardens range from about 15 to over
100 degrees Fahrenheit with frosts occurring as early as
mid-September and as late as mid-April. Snow occurs occasionally
with the last measurable snowfall in December 1989.
|
