The photo above is what my front yard looked like a month after Hurricane Helene pushed water from the gulf into my neighborhood (and home) on 09/24/2024.

As you know, Helene’s devastation was widespread and though the damage to my home was less severe than others, it was still dispiriting.

Considering my yard had been completely covered by a couple feet of salt water, I fully expected to lose every single one of my plants. And sadly, quite a few did perish over the following month.

Overall though, I was pleasantly surprised by the resilience of many of my plants. The native ones did especially well – they not only survived but thrived! I added about a dozen plants but the rest of what you see in the photos below either grew from the seed bank in the soil or were survivors that flourished.

Now, my lush, flower-rich yard attracts numerous pollinators, birds, and other wildlife which makes me very happy.

It seems there’s a life lesson in this – that beautiful things can grow out of a disaster.