This Information Gardening: What Worked Last Year & Plans For This Year, Read Now

I was looking forward to April because after about the 15th, I could get some pretty blooms to fill in where nothing came back from last year. 
But life always happens. This time vet bills. So I will have to be more prudent.
Here's some of the flowers/plants that worked well for me last year...

Just look how lush everything was in early fall. Purslane I get because it can withstand the heat when just about nothing else will. 

Plus you can snip off a piece and stick it in dirt and it will usually grow. 
If you want a better chance at getting the snipped pieces to survive, don't go out and buy rooting hormone. Pour a bit of cinnamon on a paper towel and roll the ends of your snipped piece in the cinnamon.
I have some golden pennies already growing in the pockets of the driftwood, and some mint is coming up there as well.
Thyme has come up, and some oregano. Herbs are pretty hardy plants. My rosemary didn't make it however. 

I had very good luck with these apricot-colored cone flowers I got from the nursery. 
I've learned that the bigger the pot you buy, the better chance that it will survive in the heat. Because it has a better root system established.
I sure hope this pretty perennial comes back this year.

I didn't have quite as much luck with the white cone flower. I didn't get many blooms from it.

This is the crazy mutant morning glory that seemed to come with me from the little blue house in some of the pots. It has a strange multi-colored leaf.
They are coming up ALL over the place. Every day it seems I check the pots and even more have sprung up. 
Once again, I have purchased a packet of the lovely blue morning glory flower seeds I so love. I don't seem to have luck with the blue one. Though I nick the seeds and soak overnight, following the directions on the packet. But I'll try once again.
I also have some zinnia seeds and moon flower seeds. Moon flower came up for me last year. So pretty, the huge white flower that comes out at night only. 
But none of the zinnias I planted came up. I'll try them in the big periwinkle garden and see if I have better luck.

Here was the patio last year. I had to toss the chair cushions on the right. They fell apart in the rain. I guess I'll need to be more careful about bringing them in. Wish I had a gazebo or something to put them under.
The cushions were $59.99 each at the At Home store here two years ago. So I'd need two. Not sure if I'll be getting those or not. 
The big colorful sun fell and broke, and a lovely reader/blogger bought another for me to put there. 
One of these days I'd like to get an outdoor rug to put in the seating area. 

I'd like to get a few more irises. Only three survived the move and haven't bloomed since. So if you live in the Tulsa area and are planning to divide your irises this year, I'll bring you some hosta in exchange.
I can't tell yet whether my daisies survived the winter. I certainly won't be needing more mint or lemon balm. It seems to fade back when it gets pretty hot.
I'd love to put some sort of water feature on the patio. But I suppose it would have to be solar-powered, because I don't have electricity out there. 
A few of my tulips came up, but keeled right over. So I guess I needed to plant more in the fall. I was thinking they'd come back. So I have no tulip blooms to photograph this year.
I always get sweet potato vine every year, an annual, because it looks so spectacular in the garden with its chartreuse leaves. It's already out at Lowes here.
Your perennials will cost more, but will usually come back next season if they are native to the area. 
Annuals are good to fill in gaps with color, but they only last one season. However, they put on a pretty good show for that one season.
So what changes and additions are you planning for your gardens this year?