I hired a painter to come power wash our house and gazebo and then paint it. I was very clear in informing him that we grow organic food all around and the gardens up against the house are medicine gardens, and although they look wild, they are there for a purpose and that I did not want any chemicals in the power washer. He said he puts just a very very small amount of Clorox. I asked him if he could use just a very small amount of vinegar or peroxide instead but he insisted it was just a small amount of Clorox and would not do any damage to the plants and he uses this for all his clients and has never had an issue. They power washed about 5 days ago. I was inside the house when he started. It was only a few minutes in that I got a strong scent of bleach. At this point, he was already spraying the front of the house and I couldn't open the door as he was spraying right at it. Needless to say, he used SO much bleach and near half a bottle of soap to fill his container. Today, my plants look near dead. It rained hard the day after they power washed so I hoped that was enough to wash it out but now I fear it just soaked it into the roots. I'm hoping if I cut things back to a nub that some things will be able to regrow. I'm so terribly sad. :( Has anyone else experienced this?? Did your plants recover? Any suggestions??
You can see the larger plant in this one is developing the burns now too. :( This plant was gifted to me by a friend. As I walked her garden I smelled something so amazing and familiar it brought me to tears. I asked her what that smell was and told her it reminded me of my grandma as she wore a perfume of that scent. I forgot the name of this plant but she so graciously pulled a baby up from her garden and gave it to me so I planted it right in the very front of my house just under the window so I could smell it whenever it bloomed.
It's looking pretty bad and it's all getting worse each day despite me washing it down after and a very heavy rainfall. I think the damage is done at this point. The question is, will any of this recover.
I'm praying my beautiful rosemary bush that is in that same bed that I've brought with me to NC from my TX homestead survives. I've had that bush for a long time and cherish it.
I think it is time for me to invest in my own power washer. Some of the herbs I have in that garden upfront are perennials so I wonder if I cut them down to allow the roots to focus on recovery vs growth if they will recover?? The annuals I'll just cut down and start again. They look AWFUL. Yellowing, brown spots, etc. and they were all very vibrant and healthy prior. There is a clear brown area in the grass around the perimeter of the house too where the grass is even near dead so I know for sure the power washer did it. :( Some of the overspray got on a watermelon plant further away from the gazebo and it's showing the same signs. There are still some large melons on it....do you think they are safe to eat??
