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What had been the driveway was converted into a 2,000-gallon fish pond stocked with goldfish and koi and planted with Egyptian papyrus, stargrass and tropical water lilies. Two hibiscus beds boasting over 200 multicolored varieties replaced a former rose bed, and much of the lawn was filled with a sweeping bed of bromeliads along with an allée of palm trees.

Within a few years, Casa Phippsberger—"We wanted to combine our names," Eigelberger explains, "and Casa Eigelphipps didn't sound right!"—had become a destination for garden lovers. Visitors were charmed by its many different garden "rooms" that included a formal garden, one devoted to sculpture (Susie Phipps Cochrane is a sculptor who works in bronze) and an herb garden. But in 2004 and 2005, hurricanes Frances, Jean and Wilma changed everything.

The garden was devastated and the Eigelbergers lost 25 of their 30 magnificent ficus trees and as much as 60 percent of their garden. As Eigelberger explains, "When a massive tree with a 300-foot canopy and a root ball that resembles a flat pancake comes down, it not only tears up all the grass and plants around it but everything underneath. The irrigation system and electrical wires were also ruined."

Despite the destruction, Eigelberger was not about to let nature destroy his beloved garden. Ever practical, he observed which trees survived the hurricanes and found that the softwood and fast-growing trees broke but the palm trees, while shredded, did not go down. He also studied which plants are more likely to survive hurricane damage and realized that without the shade of his ficus trees his new garden would be entirely exposed to the sun.