A Garden Variety

Two days ago, at our newly located and remodeled gardening center, I found 3 tiny herb plants in the plethora of flowering perennials, bubbling ceramic fountains and huge palms that were winter worn and miserable.  I hadn't planned on buying garden plants yet.  Way too soon!  I had hoped for some of the winter hardy herbs that I could put out on the deck right now, Lavender, Sage, Mint.....

 or for pansies that were hardened off and ready for a Michigan early cold Spring.....

 

What I found were.....

Lemon Verbena

 

Patchouli

 

and Pineapple Sage.

 

These don't get to go outside and play until 60 degrees is a dependable temperature.

Today's dependable temperature is 44.  WHAT was I thinking????  I wasn't.    This time of year garden plants, especially herbs, get me by the throat and force me to make impractical decisions.

 

 

I do have a lot of herbs growing perennially already.  I love them.  (well.....maybe not the lemon balm, which grows better than weeds or grass.)

 

But something about grey weathered pots or clay moss covered pots (sitting up where I can reach them without bending) turns soil, dried up stems and withered oak leaves into magical things.

 

My beautiful pots that in summer look like an herbal waterfall....

 

 

 

 

Now look like this.  But if you could look closer you'd see green. 



 

Wait and see!!!!  Yes, you have to wait.