One Tough Vermont Flower

Granted, it's not been the harshest late fall/early winter around St. Albans, in northern Vermont, but I'm certainly impressed with the flower that's pictured.

This flower at my house in northwestern Vermont
continues to hang in there as of Dec. 4, despite
early winter weather. 

As of today, December 5, it's endured temperatures that dropped into the upper teens, soil frozen rock solid, thawed, and refrozen, several inches of crushing, slushy snow, strong winds and next to no sun. The flower is in a pot that was part of a beautiful arrangement this summer and early autumn on my deck.

I took the pot off the deck a couple weeks ago, put it near the back door, ready to remove the dead plants and take inside, and I forgot about it. Stoically, our flower kept blooming. And no, it's not freeze-dried like that. It's actually still alive.

I might leave it outside to see how much harsh weather it can survive. But who thought something so delicate looking could be so tough?  Hope I have the strength to match a little flower.