Is it possible ?

[SunshineCake]

If a plant or bulb didn't appear or flower last year does that mean they won't this year? I know some flowers are one offs and some come every year but are there some who come every other or will come the second year if they couldn't the first, lack of light etc ?

I had a tree mallow suddenly reappear after an absence of about 10 years, so now I reckon anything is possible.

I've had lilies do this

Reappearing every second year isn't a normal growth mode, except for a few oddities like terrestrial orchids which have a symbiotic relationship with fungi allowing them to live large chunks of their life without photosynthesising.

But what can happen is one year the shoots are damaged, eg by slugs, and the plant doesn't appear, but next year the plant still has enough energy in its roots to have another go.

My lilies of the valley cover a couple of square metres normally, they have spread well in a shady bed. This year I have very few , the ones up have two leaves and no flowers yet, not even buds.
I am assuming that the very dry April plus the frosty nights has affected their growth as I would normally have lots of flowers now.

I have had a hydrangea do this. Wasn’t there when I bought the house but five years later a bit of woody stem that looked dead suddenly burst into life again and became a lovely lacecap hydrangea.

yes I've had the odd plant do this.

clematis I find if something happens, looks dead, maybe the next year it has one pathetic leaf and then the following year is is really vigorous.

I think if the conditions are all wrong, then they will struggle but fundamentally the root system is good so it comes back

Thank you.

It is bedding plants that didn't come last year but have this after I all but removed a diseased plant but I also have numerous pots and no clue if they gave me anything last year. I think not.