Salt water gardening

Over the last year I have posted many many many comments about stuff that didn't survive the salt water deluge from Hurricane Katrina. Stuff... like furniture or walls or miter saws or redbud trees...

The weather is gorgeous these days as fall slowly arrives and we're outside again as much as we can be. Since the estimates from both the contractor and the cabinet company were too high for us to even consider without a grant check in hand (and possibly too high to consider with the grant check in hand) -- we are yet again facing major delays in the repairs to the interior of the house. We have turned to the garden for solace once again.

For once.. I couldn't help but notice all of the things in the yard that not only survived the storm surge -- but actually seemed to like it. So for future reference to those of you who enjoy gardening and find yourself wondering which plants are salt-water tolerant (I'm sure someone out there does this) -- here are a few from our garden:

The tea rose has been rambling out of control for months now.

I actually don't know what this desert sage plant is called formally -- but it doesn't seem to mind the salty soil at all.

This ruellia (native petunia) was actually a cutting I had started to root in a pot... The pot itself is now so solidly rooted into the ground that we can't move it.

African daisies seem to like salt water.

Satsumas like it, too. No - it's not a huge crop but if you saw the size of the tree relative to those satsumas you would be impressed.

The hibiscus was utterly miraculous. Before the storm I had been left with dead stalks that did not produce any leaves all summer. A normal person would have accepted that the previous winter had taken its toll and pulled it up. I am glad I'm not normal. The submersion in salt water seems to have brought it back to life.

One of my all-time favorite plants because it's one of the rare 'true' blues of the garden: The plumbago has flourished.

Well okay so I was snapping pictures of my plants with triumphant music playing in my head... when I looked down and saw something that didn't belong there. Yes - that is a shingle. Sigh. Insurance should have paid for a completely new roof but we were in no position at the time to argue with them ... Another reminder that no matter where we go or what we do -- Katrina's not far behind.