Pre-garden report: There's a lot of death out there.

I'm sad to report that this last year's winter wreaked havoc on my gardens.  Truly, the list of death is long.  I have a few on the MIA list, in hopes that some warmth and sun will coax them from their nap.

The obituaries:
Tickseed- Surprisingly this one is an Ohio native. It was the only new perennial in the new front beds that didn't make it.
Soapwort- Near the front bed.  I've had it out there for years.  Not anymore.  :(
Lavender x 2- In the herb garden, under the windows. The herb garden seems like it took the brunt.
Thyme (regular)- Herb garden death.
Lemon thyme-  Ditto.
Parsley-  It didn't return for its second year.  Again, herb garden.
Oregano- I always have a ton of that stuff.  Another herb garden fatality.
Sage- Toasted in the herb garden.
Rose of Sharon- An enormous chunk appears to be dead on the "tree" that I've spent years pruning.

The MIA's-
Butterfly bushes x 2- In the back butterfly gardens.  These are the enormous butterfly bushes.  One stood at about 11' tall and the other at 9'.  I'm hoping that they just died back to the ground.  Rare are the times that they do that, but I'm seeing no signs of life, though I have a few little leaves on my third one.
Butterfly weed- Again, the butterfly gardens. No shoots.
Black Eyed Susans- Still, more butterfly garden MIAs.  I see no sign of them in one particular bed, whereas they are getting larger in another bed.
Midnight Sage- Under one of the suspected dead butterfly bushes.  I've seen nothing.

I'm going through on Monday and clearing out the known carcasses.  I do have some lavender that reseeded, so I need to see if it is one plant, or a few different plants.  I may be able to dig those up and transplant.

I have one remaining thyme plant.  I'll have to replace the lemon thyme.

On the other hand, I'm blanketed in Lily of the Valley.  Started with just a few shoots, and it is taking over.  I use it as a ground cover, as well as periwinkle.

I'm sad.  If those butterfly bushes didn't make it, we'll replace them.  I admit that it will be no easy task.  They are so large that the stumps would benefit from being pulled out.  I don't know if our backyard could support that with the lack of space.  Hubs and K bought those for me when she was just a year or two old.  They've hosted a great variety of butterflies.  We've had butterflies through that weren't even native or even close.  :deep breath:  I'll have to reconstruct a lot.  There is a mom & pop tiny little nursery down the road.  They aren't pretty from the outside.  They are pretty basic, but I purchased a lot of perennials for the front beds there last year.  They sell coal during the winter and plants during the spring and summer.  The combo makes me chuckle.  :)

Here's to hoping that God himself resurrects the MIAs.  I'm kind of sad.  We'll see if we see more this weekend.

Here's to hoping that your gardens came through better than what I'm finding here.