Happy Easter from the hot, humid, "primeval forest" of Houston! I planted 5 species of aquatic plants at about this time last year in several wheelbarrow loads of clay dirt dumped into my (former) in-ground spa. (Don't ask about my former swimming pool - which is now a dirt-filled bog garden.) There could be only room for maybe 1 or 2 species in the water garden - especially when those species are all extremely aggressive. So the games began!

First up. The pretty YELLOW WATER IRIS had the most coverage coming out of the gate. But it also was the first to have it soil exposed when the ever-fluctuating water level dipped. It was the first to die in the fall and hasn't come back yet. Not sure why. Don't care. On to the next.

Next up was the VARIEGATED CATTAIL. A sentimental favorite of mine, I added just 1 pot of it last year. So it's no surprise that there's barely a trace of it now. It was practically hidden by its neighbors much of last year, although its ribbon-like green-and-white striped leaves grew as tall as any other. I expect it to go the way of the dinosaur in 2012. So much for the underdog.

Next up are the HORSETAIL REEDS. They were dwarfed by the taller plants much of last year, but they were stubborn and they're now poking up toward the sky in an almost vengeful way - the tallest in the water garden right now. They're also allegedly native, but who can tell what you're really getting when the store doesn't even have labels.

And then there is the PICKEREL RUSH with its spade-shaped green leaves and pretty blue blooms. And they seem to be on their way to doing well again this season. They're also allegedly native, so I'm not surprised that they're still here.

Finally, there is the GINGER, which I also moved from the pots into the soil over the winter. While not as tall as the Irises, it did well in the pots last year and seems to be doing well in the soil this year, looking lush, leafy, and green.

FINAL SCORECARD: 2 of 5 species dead in 2011. Who will win in 2012? Who will be the "last plant standing"? Just wait a year and maybe I'll post again.