The above petunia appeared spontaneously in late March, at a time when nothing else was growing. The pot had stayed outside all winter through prolonged below‑zero temperatures, which makes its survival unexpected from a horticultural standpoint.

The Story

While clearing out last season’s soil, I noticed a pair of emerging leaves that resembled petunias. I had previously grown petunias indoors from seed, so the shape was familiar. Since I didn’t need the pots until mid‑May, I decided to leave the seedlings alone and see what happened.

By mid‑May, the tiny, unidentified sprouts had indeed developed into a petunia plant. This photograph shows its first bloom. It is the start of a complicated story.