So sorry about the breakage. We had some rain last night. I checked the front of the yard and no damage.

I hope the plant recovers!!

Karen

Here are the pics. I actually forgot what plant it was. And yeah, hopefully recovers but bottom is broken. :( The leaves are also starting to wilt.

A stem is broken facing east or sitting on the calendula plant.
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Now, I lifted/moved the plant to the right.
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I am sorry about your plant, Neil. You've got me wondering what kind of plant that is too! In the first photo, it kind of reminded me of a Redtwig Dogwood, but in the second shot, you see the buds, and it's obviously not that, but I have no idea what it is. I'm hoping it still blooms for you, so you can post a picture, and we can figure it out.

I know how you feel about the plant though. I have a vegetable plot at our community garden, and this morning when I went by there, one of my tomato plants was bent over. It wasn't wilted, but looked more like it was knocked over. Coincidentally, they moved the sprinklers around yesterday. I'll have to go back over there and stake it, and hope that it recovers, but it is pretty disappointing.

Bonnie

V1, some possible suggestions? If the stem isn't broken all the way through, bend it back so the two parts join, and stake the plant. Because I don't trim the side shoots of my tomatoes, invariably when tomatoes start growing on them, they'll break - typically I'm providing them support in 20/20 hindsight, and yet the tomatoes on them continue to ripen. If the stem IS broken all the way through, try duct taping the two parts together?

To secure the chances of your still having the plant, you might want to take a few cuttings and root them.

Sorry to hear this - I'm always annoyed when my plants break, too, even though in my case it's always been my own fault.

Neil,
A raccoon or a bunny might have gotten it. Looks like a Rudbeckia or an Echinacea, but with my addled brain, the red stems stump me at the moment. I'll give you a whole lot more next spring or this fall.

It's a good thing it's not a shrub though or I would be hopping mad too.

Go read what I wrote on your fragrant plant thread.
:-P

Hope you'll feel better.

looks like a rudbeckia triloba

Oh, yeah. You are absolutely right, philmont. I went out to check my R. triloba. Sure enough it has red stems.
Thanks.

Neil, I have a gazillion of that plant in my garden. In fact I pulled out several these past couple days and yesterday potted up a couple small ones for the fall swap. I'll pot up a lot more when I get stronger. Take heart. You'll get more for next year blooms.

I'm sorry about your plant. I had the same thing happen to a large Crackerjack marigold. We do have wild animals about. I was worried that something would happen to the pepper plants it was planted among. I think stems are very brittle because of all the rain we have been having in New England. I could have accidentally snagged the plant when I was watering or weeding since sometimes I go out in my bathrobe for just a minute and then start puttering about for half an hour.

Thanks folks for making me feel better. :)

I'll try to revive the plant.

I'll go and check my other thread.

I've had squirrels run through some of my plants and knock them over like that, and my cat has done that too.

Karen

Ok. I haven't seen any racoons or squirrels here in our area. It's possible that someone played basketball on my driveway because I have a hoop.

Here is an update. I think the plant is dead. All the leaves are coiled/rolled.

It's a perennial. Check around the base at the soil. See any new growth? Wait a week. It might come back. Many perennials can take even severe "prunings" as long as the roots don't rot.

It's biennial. I got a lot more seedlings for you at the swap, Neil.
:-D

Thanks Mone!

The thing that was killing me is that it was about to bloom. I don't even know how the flowers will look like. :D

Token made a good point. Last year, I had a Gaillardia 'Burgundy' that was just about to bloom, and it got knocked down by a windstorm, completely broke off at the base. I just assumed that was the end of it, but a couple weeks later it started putting on new growth. Can't remember if it actually bloomed last year, but it is doing great this year, no worse for wear.

So don't lose hope yet!

If it's a biennial that doesn't manage to bloom this year, it may very well be back next year. It would've been nice to see it this year, of course.

I thought I gave you more than one R. triloba????

R triloba acts as a perennial here, usually several years rather than 2. Even so, if it doesn't bloom this year, it could come back. You may just want to move it to an out of the way spot and forget about it til next spring. I have several plants that are in that state.

Mone, I only have one R triloba and that's the one on picture. It was the Larkspur that you gave me many. :)

Serve your right for taking only one. lol
I remember wanting to give you more and you said no. Hahaha

Hahaha. I remember I said that. It's because, I was so very shy to take more plants. :)

Sorry about your plant Neil.
I get angry too when things like that happen, and not
by mother nature. Even wicked animals I can forgive.
If kids were playing BBall while you were gone, maybe
you can put up a no trespassing sign?

Hope it recovers for you.

Mary