I don't have a lot of experience with this, but my instinct is that it may be better not to stake the trees. Trees bend to the wind so the wind does not break them. If you stake them, you may do more damage because as the wind pushes the tree, the bark or even the entire tree can be strained against the wire with which you have staked it . Some things that may help if you are prepared and safe in all other areas: 1.you could prune buds blooms off any shrubs ( the rose lilac etc) You can prune down the blueberries blackberries and even the trees so there is less for the wind to catch. 2. You don't mention where you are, other than zone 5 NE, but you said the magnolia has defoliated. Since my magnolias are just in the process of losing their leaves, but I am zone 4 central NH, I am going to assume a seasonal similarity. If you can, bring the magnolia into the garage, or inside. If it is heavy and its worth it to you you can usually rent a dolly at the hardware store that makes moving large pots easier. 3. If things are going dormant for winter where you are, as I am assuming, you can cut back any perennials. Even if they are still green, they will be going dormant before they can send out new growth - so its okay to cut them back a little earlier than you planned. 4.If you winter prune your fruit trees, you can do that now to limit wind damage. The risk is that the winter will be bad and freeze the new cuts - but my guess is that is a pretty low risk. Depending on how the forecasts progress I may do this step myself. (I have already cut back all perennials in my garden and in my customers gardens) 5. If I am correct that you are in the NE, I would also prepare for heavy wet snow. ANything you would do in your region to prepare for that I would recommend doing. Except maybe wrapping shrubs. I drove through Vermont several times this summer, and the devastation there from hurricane Irene is tremendous. The mountains funneled the torrential rains, flooding streams, rivers towns and roads. I took some pictures intending to post them for discussion; maybe this is timely, but I will start a new thread. We could also call this Hurricane Kelsey: My daughter Kelsey is flying from santiago chile to miami tonight and then to Boston tomorrow after 3 months away. The path of the hurricane is threatening her flights and I think she will be pretty upset to go from spring in Chile, completely miss fall and land in Winter here. Whatever, I just can't wait for her to get home!!

alameda - the white one is odorata/Hume's blush china (one of its 12 names) - one of the original 4 "stud" roses from China - repeat blooming. The red/crimson one is Eugene de Beauharnais, also repeat blooming. The rambler with the tiny pink roses is Dawson's Apple Blossom - once blooming. All of these have been identified with the assistance of folks on here - I had no idea who they were for years. Jackie

Plant list that goes with above plan: Common Name, Abbrev., Scientific Name Red Switchgrass 'Shenandoah', Red SG, Panicum virgatum Switchgrass 'Dallas Blues', DB SG, Panicum virgatum Switchgrass 'Cloud Nine', C9 SG, Panicum virgatum Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster', KF, Calamagrostis x acutiflora Joe Pyeweed, Joe, Eutrochium purpureum Rose Mallow, RM, Hibiscus moscheutos New England Aster 'Purple Dome', A, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae Garden Phlox 'Miss Elie', PH, Phlox paniculata Northern Sea Oats, N SO, Chasmanthium latifolium Purple Coneflower, EP, Echinacea purpurea Common Fox Sedge, FS, Carex stipata Wild Geranium, G, Geranium Maculatum Blue Flag Iris, F, Iris virginica This should provide Fall and Winter interest as well as nectar for bees/butterflies and larval hosts for some butterflies. There is a strong West wind thru the back yard so should get some interesting movement with the grasses and air circulation for the Phlox, Aster and Rose Mallow. Hoping for interesting back-lighting of the grasses when the sun sets too.

There are articles that give a lot of detail on building a rain garden. HERE is one. The size of a rain garden depends on two things the square footage of roof drainage and your soil type. You need a larger rain garden if your soil is clay than if it is silt or sand. For instance, one downspout contains runoff from 200 sq ft of roof and the soil is clay. Multiply 200 x .43 to get the rain garden size of 86 sq ft. Of course, a larger rain garden gives more containment during heavy or prolonged rain, and also allows greater plant diversity. Many sites recommend 150 sq ft. Note that many sites recommend digging deeper and generously mixing compost with the soil so it will hold more water. Ultimately, a rain garden is a shallow depression or a bermed area that catches runoff and allows it to soak in. After a heavy or prolonged rain event check to see if water flowed out anywhere. As long as the flow spreads out over lawn everything is OK. It's only if the overflow cuts into a berm or forms a runnel that you would add rocks or gravel to alleviate the erosion.