Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Mimulus, Drop of Blood



Originally uploaded by Cheo!
Do you ever need a pick me up, done at a plant nursery?

From time to time, these are very spirit lifting shopping trips. My co-worker and I used to say, half-joking, that it is a lot cheaper to indulge in plant retail therapy than to pay for a $150 visit to a psychologist. Well, ok, we weren’t joking, but point well made.

We would ask each other on a Monday, how much did you spend? It is gloriously incredible how many gorgeous plants I can buy for a modest amount in the range of twenty or thirty dollars. Today, after work, I needed some plant retail therapy and treated myself. I really went to buy some bok choi and red Japanese mustard, but none were available.

Would a dedicated plant shopper say ok, and head home empty handed? No way. I headed home with a cute pot that features a realistic frog, a Peruvian lily, a Mimulus luteus that is called Drop of Blood because each yellow flower sports one splash of drop of blood appearing color spot, a Moonflower vine in a four inch pot, a six pack of mixed lettuce, and a rose pink Dianthus in a four inch pot. It is surprising how much joy is created in selecting and planting these beauties.

This photo is of a similar Mimulus, but on the actual Drop of Blood flower the red spot is smaller and more dramatically like, well, a drop of you know what.

What are your favorite garden pick me ups? Please share with all of us.

12 comments:

kate smudges said...

This is a striking flower! Ah, garden pick-me-ups - my favourite is deadheading flowers ... love the rhythmic feel to it. Well, I also love plant shopping. As you say, it can do wonders for one's state of mental health.

Sandra said...

Lovely post. I would say that our daily 'inspection' of our garden walk lifts my spirits the most. It gives us time alone/together with non-verbal communication.

Debra from Bungalow said...

Hi,
Thanks for dropping buy my blog!
I love gardening in the spring & fall when the temps are cooler. My favorite gardening has to be in spring when the garden comes to life again. Also making bouquets of flowers from my garden always gives me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that all the pretties are growing in my yard.

Plaese drop by & visit again soon. XO DebraK

Marcie said...

Terra, Thanks for coming by and visiting my Quiet Country House. It is nice to meet you. Your blog looks appealing to me. I will be back soon. :)

Zoë said...

:: peeks in :: Just thought I would pop over and say hello and thank you for the kind comments you left on my blog. Glad you enjoyed my photography and verbage.

Like you, I enjoy garden history too, my favourite period is Medieval, although The Renaissance has it appeal too. The more I learn the more it informs my taste, and things I didn't like 5 years ago, I have acquired fondness for.

Good Luck with the book launch, I hope its a runaway success for you all.

Best Wishes,

Zoë

Anonymous said...

I have a hibiscus right outside my front door. The tropical flowers are golden yellow with a red center. Sometimes when I need a break from a writing deadline, I step outside and just look at that beautiful plant and it's enough. It's therapy.
I've had a black thumb for most of my life. : ) Recently I found my green thumb (maybe it's something that just shows up after a certain period of time) and I love watching these plants blossom and grow.

Darlene Schacht said...

I love outdoor plants!! I'm a garden fanatic. And I'm also amazed at how much I can get for 20 bucks. It's awesome. I just wish I had a yard big enough to put them all in.

Diana LaMarre said...

I have never seen a Mimulus. Drop of Blood is beautiful.

One of my favorite gardening things to do is move plants around to create a different look. I do it all the time. I rarely have to buy new plants, but if I do that doubles the excitement.

I also love to walk the paths through my garden spaces. I do that everyday right after work. I pull a weed here, deadhead a lily there, ... it's the most relaxing part of my day.

TAILS of TANKENE said...

Garden Therapy = Bliss. I walk and talk to God and my plants and feel happy. A perfect day is pruning trees and bushes for hours on end and thinking of calling: 911-Garden Terra. Help stop me from this pruning madness. Sparkles

Sue said...

Hi Terra! Thanks for poppin' over to my blog. Always great to meet new friends :-)

To answer your question, I'm in the midst of my assignment and I have chosen a Christmas theme for my seasonal article. Not sure how good it will end up but I'm trying my best after "vacation brain" (hee hee).

I loved your post about your "plant retail therapy". I personally have a "black thumb" and am horrible at gardening (not to mention I'm such a girlie girl that digging in the dirt creeps me out with all the bugs & such).

Hope you have a great week & I'll be by again to visit!

God bless

Flower said...

Your attitude about buying plants is right on!! There is always room for another plant!!
I would be in therapy if it weren't for my plants...and some might think I should be in therapy because of them all!! :))

Wild Flora said...

Hi Terra,

Thank you for stopping by my blog. And thank you for writing up this striking mimulus. There is a very similar mimulus (the same bright yellow but sadly lacking the "drop of blood")that is native throughout western North America and in parts of the Northeast. It's very easy to grow and spreads readily if you have the right spot for it (sunny and quite moist), a terrific pollinator plant.

Sincerely,
Wild Flora