As many of you know, I sustain a deep, primal hatred for mums. I know I have expressed myself fully on this fascinating topic, but I think it bears repeating, especially in light of the above photo.
See, earlier this fall, when I was ranting about the non-stop onslaught of this smelly, pom pom-looking plant EVERYWHERE, a few beloved friends piped up, extolling their virtues. Cheap. Hard to kill. And, most of all, “hardy.” (That makes another friend angry, which I love!) Apparently their ability to stay bright yellow and orange and rusty red through frost and 30-degree temperatures is enough to recommend them to most folks. (Hence, their disturbing popularity, I am sure.)
(It must also be noted here that at least one dear friend also nurtures an interesting emotional attachment to mums, which is excusable, obviously… though we know this attachment belongs not to the world of esthetics, but to an otherly, irrational place where mums are beautiful.)
Anyway… I say all that to say: Guess what, biatches? Petunias are hardy too! These fantastic lilac-stripey friends have survived a “hurricane,” 14-inch snowfall and temps dipping well into the low 30s lately. And they are still blooming!
Bless these blooms. You can believe I am going to have a lot more petunias next year. I am thinking in front of the house, maybe even in the ground too? They’d make a gorgeous ground cover. (And, by the way, these were so cheap. Like 2 plants for $1 toward the end of the season. And they ‘roided out with flowers and vines.)
Funny thing is, I never cared much for petunias in the past. But their ability to flourish between cracks in the sidewalk, escape planters and bloom in the snow have given me a profound new respect for this tenacious, trailing vine of happiness.
And speaking of plants that can thrive through snow and cold: hello heuchera! (It can also survive under a blanket of leaves, apparently.)
I will clean out this bed someday before it snows again. Really...
I would also like to note — for those looking for other “hardy” late-fall friends — that my delicate little coral Diascia hybrids are still hanging in there with some wee flowers.
But everything else… well. Not so much.
Plantkiller -- Queen of the Desert 
I just discovered petunias this year, not knowing that was one of my mom’s go-to flowers in our gardens as a kid. Now I know why. We talked with a landscape designer who suggested a huge pot with a perennial grass, surrounded by petunias for a troublesome corner in our yard. I was skeptical, but they were fabulous. I tore them out last week ONLY because I knew snow would catch us by surprise one of these days. Go petunias!
I am a convert! Debating on whether to try and bring them in for the winter. Probably not. I have plants piling up inside. What did you do with your’s when you tore them out?