I'll just pop into the garden center since I'm out this way...

I have several Local Garden Centers that I visit regularly.  I haven't been going regularly lately since the theory is that fall is not a good planting time in New England.  I understand the logic, winters can be harsh.  But the weather is nice and I WANT to get my hands dirty!  So today when I found myself out near one of the garden centers that is further away I decided to pop in and see if they had any Solidago (goldenrod).  It was only 15 minutes further away...

Solidago is one of those plants that look great en mass for a short period of time.  I'm kind of wishy-washy about them.  But they are fantastic for pollinators and I'm kind of in between plants right now.  My Agastache is fading and my Aromatic Aster hasn't really started to bloom yet.  So I need something for the pollinators.  {side note:  the pink Agastache in this week's GBBD posting is called Heat Wave and I got it from Bluestone Perennials}

Sure enough they had about six plants, all of the same strain, set out on display.  I snagged two of them (large pots, I hope to divide them into more plants) and, oh, look at those peppers.  And those.  I bet I could make a nice fall container planting if I mixed the purple ones with the colorful ones...

Into the cart they went.

And how can I visit the LGC without going into the greenhouses.  This is one of the few local places that carries a wide selection of indoor plants.  I saw several sources of temptation and then... is that what I think it is?  Tucked back out of the way?  It is!  It's...

A variegated ficus!  I've been lusting after these since I saw one in an office last winter.  I had found a small one at the grocery store but it didn't do well (you can bring some plants back from the edge of death but others are just too far gone).  This one is large, healthy looking and reasonably priced.  Mine!  Now I just need a nice pot for it.  And a place for it to live.  Honey, we're rearranging the furniture again!

So that errand I was originally on?  Yeah, I never got to it.  I got distracted by plants.

Hi, my name is Diana and I'm an addict. 

But I'm a happy addict!