With the forever changing and unpredictable winters we’ve all grown accustomed to it’s hard to know what to expect each spring. Sometimes plants we never thought had a chance in hell of coming back sail through the winter unfazed.  And then there are those occasions when you were positive a hardy, no-fail shrub would be sprouting in April without any trouble—and you were wrong. This episode celebrates those plants that Steve and Danielle were flabbergasted to see emerging this spring. These perennials and shrubs were thought to be long-shots for returning, perhaps due to neglect (Steve) or wishful zonal thinking (Danielle) but regardless, they persevered. Nothing makes us feel better than an underdog’s success story!

 

Expert testimony: Joseph Tychonievich, horticulturist, frequent Fine Gardening contributor, and author of, Rock Gardening:  Reimagining a Classic Style.