So I'm walking home through the park after spending a lovely springy day with a gal pal and her dog, who loves me to death.
I love you too, Bella!
In the park's an extremely nice small conservatory. I notice in the twilight of dusk a wheelbarrow behind the building loaded with small potted plants resembling tulips.
They're in a sorry state, all droopy and pale and well past their bloom and en route to meet their maker in a conservatory plant rotation.
So I sort through for any flowers I might clip and take home and find none.
Then I spot one lone plant, not of the tulip family, still sporting life.
In fact, it looks pretty gosh darn healthy! Sure, its tiny purple flowers at the end of spidery spindly dried stems are past their prime; other than that, it's very much alive!
So I hem and haw about taking it home. The plant looks delicate. I do best with hearty succulents. I've no idea about its needs for water, light and temperature. Plus there's my black thumb.
So I opt out. Set it back in the wheelbarrow. Have second thoughts. Pick it back up. Put it back down. Several times over.
One guess where that plant is now.
Right, 10 feet (3 m) from where I'm sitting.
Because I figure the plant in the wheelbarrow has no shot, whereas with me, it might.
So I scissor off the dried spindlies, sweep debris off the soil and preserve its tiny three purple flowers, off the stems, for an online google investigation.
And still I've absolutely no clue what this plant is!!!
The leaves are velvety. The flowers are about half-pinky in size, light purple, paper thin and sorta shaped like bells with five rounded petals and have a soft sweep of white accented with two dark purple streaks down into the center.
Matter of fact, the flowers sorta resemble this pic from Red Pen's blog; thanks RP!
This is driving me nuts!!
Because I want to do right by the plant.
Plus I'm selective about bringing plants home, I like, need, to know who's sharing my space. The black thumb's already been mentioned.
I'll probably take it over to the conservatory in the hope that someone might be able to identify. For the plant's sake.
And to quell my nutsoness.
Until then, hello! Purple Puzzle. Who's sitting under the grow light alongside Jade (whose resurrection remains unknown). Welcome to your new home. I sincerely hope it works out for you.
As for myself, I've just discovered yet one more highway to insanity.
Barefoot Blogger 