On Saturday I went to the Plant Sale at the National Arboretum, an event I have attended for over two decades. The peony above is just one of hundreds of plants I have bought there. Unfortunately, many of those plants are now compost, returned to the soil, eaten by animals, frozen in cold winters, or not watered enough in the months after their arrival. But, like any gardener filled with hope, I bought 23 new plants spending over $300 dollars.
It began raining, again, after I drove home. At least it was a light, soft rain, not like the recent storms that have flooded the basement. Early yesterday morning, with the sun filtering through thin clouds, there were little drops of water on much of the garden, collecting and shining the soft light back out from sparkling crystals resting on the leaves. Even though I should have been getting ready to go to church, I grabbed my camera, and spent 20 minutes following the sparkle. The rain on the new foliage was too appealing, and I would just have to be a bit late for choir rehearsal!
Looking at these pictures, I see how the peony, pheasant berry and smoke bush all have a rich red color on their new leaves, providing a dramatic contrast to the light yellow green color. Each plant retains a slight amount of red in their leaves throughout the summer, but here at the beginning, it is prominent.
All of those Arboretum plants are in their pots on the front porch, waiting to be planted in their new home. I hope these will all live and settle into their new site which I have chosen for them. Spring brings hope.
