A Late Bloomer

I've always loved Mexican Petunia plants and see them practically everywhere I go, their colorful bluish-purple blooms adding a touch of "coolness" to our hot and humid Mississippi landscapes. A few years ago, I planted a Mexican Petunia plant in a flower bed outside my office window, thinking how nice it would be to look out and see its bright and cheerful flowers. My plan worked perfectly the first couple of summers. My petunias bloomed profusely and were especially pretty mixed with Lantana, which the butterflies loved ... Unfortunately, after its first two glorious summers, the plant bloomed less and less, as if it had "given its all" those first two seasons, and didn't have the energy, or inclination, to produce any more flowers. It grew a lot this summer and I was encouraged, but it just sat there in the flower bed, green and healthy-looking, but completely and totally bloomless (is that a word?). Needless to say, I was disappointed. But, wait ... there is a happy ending to my story! I'm pleased to say that this week, now that summer is almost over, my Mexican Petunia, bless its heart, decided it would favor me with a few blooms. Yesterday, I captured some pictures of those flowers "for posterity's sake," just in case it doesn't ever bloom again. I wouldn't take anything for my little late-bloomer. As you can see, what it lacked in quantity, it made up for in quality, and it makes me smile every time I look out my window and see its pretty purple flowers.