From Danika Hoffman:

Last year, I became obsessed with black flowers.  Black pansies, black dahlias, black lilies, black hollyhocks etc.  I joked that I was creating a ‘goth garden’ even though I am not really the theme garden type. I planned to use green plants and flowers like Green Envy Coneflowers and Bells of Ireland for contrast without detracting from my morbid flowers.

I quickly learned that black is subjective when it comes to garden catalogs and seed packets. All of my “black” flowers turned out to be purple, blue, or even pink. And the black hollyhocks that I started from seed? Small, disappointing bunches of green leaves, nothing more. I hadn’t really researched them, so I chalked it up to a learning experience and vowed to have a more cheerful garden next year.

Fast forward to early spring with 2 inches of snow on the ground — I noticed green leaves pushing up through the snow! The hollyhocks from last year came alive, waking up even before the tulips.  And they were HUGE!  I was dismayed at the prospect of their boring foliage taking over my garden again.

I’m so glad I resisted my urge to tear them out. They quickly grew to be over 6 feet tall and their beautiful flowers (called “Arabian Night” on the seed packet) were the closest thing to black of all my Goth Garden attempts.  They are stunning and a new favorite. I plan to let them re-seed and see what happens — they are bi-annuals and research has been mixed as to whether these will come back again.

Hollyhocks were once known as “outhouse flowers.” Back in the day, people would plant them around the outhouse so that people didn’t have to ask where the outhouse was, they could just look for the hollyhocks. They probably provided a bit of privacy when you opened the door, too. Luckily times have changed, since I planted them very close to the dining room window!

What has been your biggest garden surprise?  Have you had any experiments go wrong, but then turned out to be so right?

Who knew that one packet of seeds could provide YEARS of blooms?

No, this is not PhotoShop tomfoolery. These blooms just glow from the inside out.

Okay, now I’ve crossed the line. It’s a Nelson Heirloom! My greatest gardening thrill ever!

(Eh hem… Sorry, Connie.)

So what’s your story, morning glory? It this vigorous vine a garden fav or a garden foe? Did you fall in love with a particular variety or do you curse they day you sowed the seeds of trouble?

In our front yard, a former homeowner had planted a purple clematis behind an ever-expanding evergreen shrub. Every spring, it struggled to produce a bud or two. By summer, it could no longer compete with the thirsty shrub and died back before the buds could bloom.

Last year, I took pity on the poor vine and replanted it along our chainlink fence. The sod was it’s only competition.

To be honest, my rescue effort was ill-planned and half-hearted. I forgot to water. I forgot to mulch. The clematis sprouted a few new leaves, but grew only grew six inches tall. It was pooped and I didn’t expect it to survive the winter.

My clematis, however, had other plans.

Now this hardy vine is all leaves and blooms. When I wash dishes, I admire it from my kitchen window — amazed that I didn’t kill it. Heck, I like it so much, I might buy more.

Have any of your plants made a miraculous recovery? What plants have survived in spite of your bumbling?

They can be cool and clever, but just as often, the floral expression of patriotism tends toward the cheesy. Have you seen displays done well? What flowers work particularly well? Or should gardeners leave the flag-waving to actual flags?

What’s your vote — yes or no to red, white and blue flowers?

Flowers are like fireworks. Peonies, iris, lily — big bangs are often big crowd pleasers. After our cold grey winters these bright blooms are a jolt of color therapy.

When our friends, Gene and Kelly (yes, Gene Kelly) gave me some forget-me-nots, I was expecting some small to medium-sized flowers. Instead, I fell in love with teeny-tiny blue blooms. (Seriously, if Hello Kitty made a Lego set, these would snap in place just outside her doorstep.)

Where big blooms can’t help but draw attention to themselves, there is something incredibly sweet about stumbling upon such a small surprise. Ah, the joy of discovery!

Do you have a big love for tiny flowers? What are you favorites? Where do your plant them to maximize their sweetness?