Surprises: Garden Variety

We had been watching the plant for more than three years. It had luxurious leaves that came out each spring and lasted through the summer, except that second summer when a substitute gardener mowed them down. This summer, all the leaves withered and died. Then surprise: this week, one lone stalk appeared out of the bald ground...pale pink flowers began to show their faces! Tall Husband discovered the blooms early Saturday morning.

Another surprise: we have raised jasmine for years and these are the first beans we have ever seen.

And this Hydrangea is supposed to be white!

Who would have thought that I could bring Lavender to bloom in Texas! Me...Annie Brown Thumb (So it's only one scraggly bloom but for me that's a miracle.)

And this sweet surprise visitor watched the photo shoot from a safe distance while a resident squirrel pelted my head with huge green pecans, as payback for invading his turf.