Survivor - Snapdragon

Snapdragons have somehow survived the unusually cold Houston winter. Hooray for them! It seems the worst of the winter is finally over, although we had heavy rain yesterday. The garden snapdragons are rather spindly, having continued to grow at every opportunity. Isn't this a gorgeous one, with buds just bursting to bloom? If you look closely, you'll see a little insect on the center petal. Many gardeners have put out colorful pansies. Pansies... sweet little faces. More on pansies, later...

Delightful Dianthus

Dianthus come in many colors. In my yard, they have survived many nights of freezing or below freezing temperatures. This photo was taken just a few days ago, as testament to their winter hardiness.

They are a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster garden of mostly evergreens and frozen-back plants.

Another dianthus plant, this one bright pink.