All summer and fall, when lifting the bowl of this bird bath to clean and refill with fresh water,

…I observed a hardy sprig of native Heartleaf Skullcap,  Scutellaria ovata ssp. bracteata, clamoring up from the deep, dark, depth.

Wan and pale, thin and spindly, this bit of perennial was ever-growing from the moist soil of the cavity, trying to make its way into the garden.  I didn’t think much of it, except that it was charming and rather remarkable that this remaining remnant from spring was surviving in less-than-ideal conditions and that it continued growing, inside the pedestal, slowly, throughout summer and into autumn.

Recently, I noticed this.

Yup, that’s the same individual, all grown up and emerging from its bird bath terrarium, into the outside world, saying “Hi!” and readying for spring blooming, hosting of pollinators, and spreading its plant DNA.

The determination to survive is heartening.

I guess it’s true–that native plants survive and thrive in tough situations, without much help from the gardener.