7.10.2013

Update on the Update

In my perhaps excessively thorough description below of the plants in my garden, I left out one of the rising stars... Monique, the Arkansas Blue Star. I left her out intentionally because she hasn't yet hit her stride, but then I realized she's probably going to be the most interesting plant of them all. It starts out in spring looking, well, it's nice enough I suppose but not really an attention grabber. Mine has seven or eight stems of wispy slim leaves. The overall effect is almost too delicate; you can't help but be afraid that the first strong breeze will carry it away. Then in late spring tiny blue flowers appear at the ends of the stems. Again, the effect is nice enough but just a bit too delicate. Then fall arrives and everything changes. The wispy leaves thicken and the entire plant turns the most beautiful shade of copper brown you've ever seen. The photos I've seen of groupings in autumn look magical. I'm already kicking myself for only getting one plant.

Which leads to another topic. Dayum, plants are expensive. I love Urban Roots, and you can't beat the convenience of a garden center 2 blocks from your home. And I love the interesting, unusual plants I always seem to find there. But I can't always swing their prices. I dislike going to Home Depot with its vast but uninteresting selection, but I can't argue with their prices. Hopefully now that the framework plants are in I can treat myself to an Urban Roots trip every once in a while.

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