Notice that some of the buds are on last years wood. I have noticed that in the fall, many buds appear on the old wood, but usually do not make it through the winter.

My Bartzella is showing the same growth! I have to watch to see if there will be any flowers on these stems.

Your are correct, the buds that are on old wood do not make it or amount to anything. The new buds that push up from the base are the yearly plant and blooms. My Bartzella that I bought last year from Home Depot for $29 is about 4 inches tall now with many new buds. I will post pictures as we get closer to bloom time.