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.