Dealing with storm damage, stunted, bloomless cannas and your weekly gardening tip

Hi, guys!

If you were affected by either of the recent hurricanes, I certainly hope you, your loved ones and your property emerged completely unscathed. It feels tone deaf to even mention your garden in the wake of such destruction, but folks have been asking for advice, and that’s what I’m here for.

As I wrote after the last big storm, once you’re settled in and turn your attention to such things, clear away fallen fruit and vegetables, which could attract rodents if left to rot on the ground, and remove protection from around plants.

Inspect trees for damage. If you can safely remove hanging, broken branches while standing on the ground, do so. But avoid pruning anything higher than your head or climbing a ladder to prune. Those jobs are best left to a professional -- and that doesn’t mean a guy who shows up at your door with a chainsaw, who is unlikely to know what he’s doing and could be a scammer.