MIDLAND, Texas — Mother nature really did a number on Elisa McMurrey's garden in February.
"As I sat in my home and I watched for a week, I knew we were in trouble, I knew that everything was going to die and pretty much everything did," says McMurrey.
It not only froze her home but potentially freezing out new business at her shop, Botanical Boutique.
"Well the problem is if you can get the product then you can sell the product but we're fighting for the product, when all of Texas froze," says McMurrey.
Suppliers are still playing catch up months after the historic storm.
"The trucks are backed up, my trucking company has hired contracting labor to come in and help it is unbelievable how many plants are being bought right now, the growers are actually growing right now this month so they can regroup and try to grow more plants," says McMurrey.
Small business owners like McMurrey had to make a pivot. She's planning weeks in advance to keep up with demand.
"I've been able to order, I'm ordering 6 weeks in advance whereas I used to last year I'd order a week In advance and I'd get it I'm having to say what I want 6 weeks in advance," says McMurrey.
As for plants already in the ground, McMurrey says those suffered too, "so you have a stressed plant because of the freeze and then we will go into the hot season without any rain and it will further stress."
Now is a good time to assess everything you have planted at home.
"The live oaks that you see growing around us, they dropped all their leaves and live oaks usually don't do it. It was such a severe artic blast. A lot of the cacti species that took a really big hit," says Michael Nickel, Scientist at the Sibley Nature Center.
If it's time for refresh or starting over entirely, now is a good time to get going.
"If you want to plant things like flowers, now is a good time to do it before the weather gets too hot. This is a good time to do that," says Nickel.
"You need to plant plants that have similar water requirement similar light requirements together. Some plants do better when planted with other certain things we call that companion planting," says Nickel.