'TIS THE SEASON: FOR A FEW SURPRISES

We've had a fairly mild winter compared to last year, with it's multiple hard freezes, and the porch pots are still looking halfway decent -- especially now that the snapdragons, planted in fall, are finally blooming like crazy. The plants in the front pot, with the swirly gazing ball, were planted a year or two ago, and have been a gift that kept on giving. They don't bloom when it's really cold, but the foliage still looks fantastic, and the gazing ball adds a splash of color. My first surprise of the season is in the back pot, next to the green glass frog. Last summer that pot held a beautiful purple basil plant, which I never got around to yanking once the cold zapped it. Guess what's coming back from its roots!

These pots are just so-so, a bit overwhelmed by the one kale that has swamped everything else. They will look a whole lot better in a few weeks, when there's more to choose from at the nurseries, but hey, it could be worse! My second surprise was that purple heart trailing over the side of the big pot, which usually gets zapped by the cold as well, if the deer don't get it first.

The Texas Mountain Laurel, which abounds on our property, has put on a show like never before this spring. We, and the butterflies, are ever so thankful. Though the blooms are now past their prime, their purple-koolaid-scent still fills the air.

The coral honeysuckle is making me a bit color mad. I have this strange compulsion to use its delightful blending of deep coral, tangerine and yellow as a color-scheme for something - in a flower bed, a room, or maybe even a craft project. Perhaps it has something to do with Christy Tomlinson's "Color Inspiration" class I've been taking online. Speaking of color-mad, here's another surprise.

I thought for sure all my heucheras had fried to death in last summer's record-breaking heat and drought, but this one, which happens to be my favorite, is making a comeback. I just love this combination of deep roses, citrus greens, and toffee hues on the new foliage.

That "Amazon" dianthus I picked up on a whim, from the Arnosky's blue barn, is finally in bloom, and it truly is an amazon! It's central stalk is at least knee high, and, as with most things the Arnoskys grow, is supposed to make a great cut flower. And now for the biggest surprise of all. Do you remember me talking about this one dang bougainvillea hanging basket that my hubby picked up somewhere last spring? The one that just bloomed nonstop all spring, summer and fall? It was phenomenal! Anyhoo, when the first freeze was expected, I just couldn't bear to toss it. I'd read once that you could sometimes make them go dormant by cutting them back and keeping them in a garage or basement without much light or water, and had actually tried it once or twice, but with no success. This plant was so intrepid though, I thought it was worth another try.

Would you look at that? Zippity-doo-dah-day!