Softball sized hail? You have a roof left? That sounds just awful.

Don't throw out the plants just yet. Still early days for the season, and totally battered plants will often come back from the roots.

I am so sad for your garden. It is all I can do right now to not cry. My husband and I so enjoyed meeting your family that now it feels so personal what has just happened to you.

There are peas I need to thin and they do well with transplanting, still some raspberries that could be thinned and I am sure other things once I calm down and think. Send me a pm and let me know when and where to bring them. bonnie and terry

Wow, ProvoGirl! IÂm so glad youÂre ok! IÂm in ThorntonÂnot at all far away from youÂand I donÂt have ANYTHING over here! No hail! No rain! No nothing! But IÂm watching pics on the news with road graders plowing the hail off of the roads in Commerce City. They showed cars that were virtually destroyed by the hail at a golf course over that way, I think at 112th and Chambers. And NOAA is still showing a tornado warning just a little ways further out I76. Tornado watch still in effect for the whole Metro area, most of the eastern plains, and all the way up into Wyoming. Radar not showing much around here right now, but apparently that could change.

Like David said, donÂt give up on your plants! Some of them probably wonÂt make it, but you may be amazed at how many do come back. When you can, clean up the shredded foliage and just give them time. With the perennials, the roots are the most important part, and if the crown isnÂt too badly smashed in, they will probably come back.

Especially since we apparently live fairly close together, I can replace the stuff you got from me at the swapÂand more, And if you had veggies, IÂll be planting my tomatoes in the next week and should have at least a couple left over that you could come pick up. I can help you get restarted a little bit at least. And since itÂs still early, thereÂs still time to start some things from seedÂand tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc. should still be available at garden centers.

So donÂt give up on any of your things yet. ItÂll be a couple weeks before you can be sure theyÂre really, permanently gone. And let me know if youÂd be interested in getting a few things to replace things that may not have made it.

So glad youÂre safe,
Skybird

Impressive video of the damage. If that storm had gone over Denver or Aurora or Colo Spgs, 9 figure damage, easy.

Nonetheless, many plants will come back. F'r instance, I'm waiting for my wind-shredded peas and peppers to re-sprout just as soon as the wind is done for the year.

Just as soooon as the wind is done for the year.

Hello?

Hello?

Just. As. Soon. As. The. Wind. Is. Done!!!!

Dan

I'm so sorry! I have one cherry tomato seedling left and could give it to my colleague who lives in Commerce City. That's horrible. Hope you and yours are safe.

Skybirde and Luckybottom you both are SO sweet. I would love some more plants. Skybird- I think almost everything I got from you is completely gone. The hail was like bombs coming out of the sky. It smashed the cups completely.
Luckybottom- I have not been out to where I put in the raspberries yet but I am sure they were smashed too.

My house did not flood but all my neighbors house's did. And the windows are smashed out on the house's and trucks. The vehicles that were out are totaled. It crazy, I haven't seen anything like this before.

Seriously. Don't think everything has perished.

Dan

If you need anything, you can have some of my seeds. I have so many for lettuces and spring onions, turnips, radishes and some other stuff I can't remember. I'm not sure seeds are what you'd like but if so, just let me know. Oh, yeah, carrots, beets, strawberries, chard, collards.

I'm really sorry to hear about this, I hope your plants grow back and, geeze, you and your neighbors are alright. Sounds awful!

Jennifer

Oh my! I am so sorry, but so glad your family and home are ok!!

Hopefully you will have some of your plants come back to life. It's is wonderful to hear how many others so quickly responded to say they would give you some new ones as well. What a terrific group!

Keep us posted and if I find I have some you want or need, I'll be happy to do so as well.

Marj

I emailed you, Provo!

Like Dan says too, don't give up yet, no matter how bad they might look right now!

The things you got from me at the swap---in the cups or in the ground, probably ARE gone. They were too tiny to survive much. No problem! But anything that's been in the ground for at least a few weeks, just give it time!

And if you get some stuff from Lucky, I think you NEED some of the Egyptian onions! LOL

I'll watch my email for your reply,
Skybird

BTW, while the depth of hail combined with the size may be unusual in the short term, this is not all that unusual in the long term. My hoops are ready to go to cover for hail (ahem...last year partially successful). Not unexpected. Part of the challenge of gardening around here: Front Range, Intermountain West...

Dan

We got hit pretty hard by hail here last year and it was such a devastating feeling looking at the garden afterwards. (not to mention the roof and 1 year old truck)

Overall most of the plants did come back. I'm sure they were set back a few weeks. And the ones that died were mostly the weaker, smaller or younger ones. I mentioned the garden to the insurance guy and he just laughed it off.

I hope you and your neighbors recover as quickly as possible from this storm.

Video of the storm on you tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPSWQTYrzpQ

I really wouldn't recommend standing by the window though as this man did during a tornado warning especially with baby in tow.

Here is a link that might be useful: Commerce Cith hail May 26 2010

Severe thunderstorm here right now---the gutters are a moot point! Went out as soon as I heard the first thunder and moved EVERYTHING that's still in pots back up onto the deck! There's been a little bit of small hail, but nothing bad--yet! The cell looks small on radar, so I'm hoping it just keeps moving.

Finger's crossed,
Skybird

So sorry to hear this, Provogirl! I am glad you and your family are ok. I'm happy to share whatever I have - definitely mint and strawberries and yarrow, if you want them, and plenty of sedum-type stuff too. (Very exact name, I know, but it thrives on hot, neglectful weather and bad soil, so it is useful stuff!) And I have plenty of veggie seed too, so don't buy that if you need it - I can mail it to you.

Angel

Well I did go out and have a looksy in the back yard before the second hail and rain storm we got. I planted corn, squash and cucumbers over the last few days and I think the corn is still in the ground but I will have to replant the cuc's and squash. The potatoes are beat up bad but I think they will survive. The peas were up about a half inch and are still looking good. Everything that was in little cups is pretty much gone. The cups literally are in a in several pieces,the dirt is gone and I cannot even find any remnants of plants.
Good news is I have tons of seeds for carrots, lettuces', radish, beans, etc. I have been behind in planting because we are re-doing our backyard. We have ripped out 18 tons of dead sod. Moved 40 tons of dirt to grade properly (with shovels and a wheel barrel). Rotortilled, twice and just rolled everything smooth to get ready to trench and put in a sprinkler system and some grass. So it is good our new grading paid off as we didn't get flooded. I just have to re-roll to get out the craters and divits and small washes from the rain and hail and start planting. And this is a perfect excuse for more shopping. I guess this means I get to go to Paulino's again. I hope they have some stuff left. Thanks to everyone for all the kindness and willingness to share. I appreciate!
Luckybottom- I beleive I have your email address as Skybird cc both of us on a email she sent. So I will email you. And if you can spare a walking onion or two, I would LOVE some. :)
Auto-Thanks for the tomato offer. I don't want to be too much trouble. If your co-worker lives on the North side of Commerce City I would be willing to meet them somewhere but if they are busy I understand. PM me if they are willing to meet somewhere.

I hope everyone else is doing well. These storms are just building out of nowhere.

ProvoGirl

That video of "CO Hail Storm May 26, 2010" shows the most dramatic hailstorm I have ever seen. Even that glimpse of the reality tells me that.

Even without the audio, one can imagine some of the thinking of the person with the camera: Isn't this something?! What do you think of this, Baby? Look at that flooded street! Oh, it is getting worse! What's going to happen to the truck?! Terrible for the tree! Oh! Something fell off the truck! It's damaging the truck!! I'd hate to be that tree! It's like a war out there! Baby is okay!

I didn't want to watch it twice. I am very sorry for the damage.

Steve

Provogirl, I see that the Arvada Army-Navy surplus has a sale over the Mem Day weekend - perhaps a trip to Timberline is in order as well...

Good luck with your re-planting and landscaping...

Dan

That's a really amazing storm, provogirl. I'm glad that you're OK even if a some of your plants got battered.

The cukes and squash might surprise you by recovering. If not, there's still plenty of time to replant.

I hope that more recovers than you expect! And that replacing proves relatively easy.

I'll have more plants at the Fall Swap, and so will the rest of us. I have some tomato seeds left, too.

We didn't even get rain last night. And yet, not far to the east, there was all this hail, tornadoes, and other late-spring thunderstorm dramatics.

Oh, no! :(

This is what happened to me a couple of seasons back. Colorado hail is a serious bummer. Whenever severe thunderstorm warnings come up, I'm out covering everything that's not under hardware cloth with buckets and pots with bricks on top. But there's no guarantee I'll be home, or that there will be enough time.

Let me know if you'd still like some replacement mint, as I could figure out a way to get it to you.

This storm was crazy! It was just like in the video gjcore posted. I have video very simailar to that one. My roof is totaled and so is my AC (90 degrees today huh?). I bought some more plants last night just to feel good about looking outside and see the lack of plants. Thanks everyone and Skybird and Luckybottom you ladies have outdone yourselves again!

I'm sooooo sorry to hear about those plants! I would offer you some plants if i could ,but i don't know how to get them to you. I'm also waiting for some of my plants to re-sprout because of the wind. I don't think i live very close to you provogirl,but where i live we usually have storms that were at other places but not as bad. I haven't had that storm--yet (knock on wood). i hope you and your plants are ok.
fingers crossed,
chcolatedog