Plant Profiles | Gordon's Gardens

September 6, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 4 Comments

Fungi: Another reason why I love the Pacific Northwest

In case you were wondering what the first reason was, check my previous post on moss. I have many other reasons, but today I want to talk about fungi! Yay!

While driving along U.S. 101 near the Oregon Coast, we stopped at a scenic vista to see sand dunes. Were they impressive? Eh… The sand dunes in Death Valley are significantly more magestic. But what was impressive was this giant group of mushrooms growing near the the public restroom:

Fungi-tastic!

Hopefully the presence of the blades of grass can help you understand the size of these suckers. I have never seen mushrooms so large growing in nature. I took this as an opportunity to nerd out yet again. My first thought was, “If I only picked up that mushroom field guide I saw at Powell’s Books in Portland. Alas, there’s there’s always the internet.” So yes, I took a picture and planned on looking it up later online when I had reception on my phone again. I did, but as usual, without an actual sample of the fungus, keying it out was very difficult. I did come across a great fungus key for the Rockies and Pacific Northwest from Fungal Jungal. According to the key, there are approximately 2000 species of fungi amongst these two areas but the key only accounts for 400. I searched but could not find anything that looked enough like the fungus in the picture above.

So, are there any mycological heroes out there who know what fungus I found in the forest?

On a side note, this little diversion did renew my interest in mushrooms again. My mind was blown the day my horticulture teacher told us that a mushroom is only the fruit of a fungus. Underground, it is a spreading network of web-like mycelium. Soon after that epiphany, I read Mary Gray’s great review of Paul Stamets’ book Mycelium Running, titled “My Fungi are Smarter than Your Honor Student.” I was instantly appreciated the humorous title, and reading her review inspired me to go out and buy the book. It’s still sitting on the table next to my bed for me to read before going to sleep, along with a book about the plight of oaks living in urban settings, several field guides, Botanical Latin, and much, much more. If only there was ever a time period of wakefulness long enough to read anything after my head hits the pillow.

Mycelium Running (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After teaching all day, some occasional after-school tutoring, answering peoples’ questions about their street trees or performing emergency care, and verifying that my bourbon still tastes the way it should, I have difficulty finding the time to read for fun. This must change soon.

Paul Stamets on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world (ritholtz.com)
Cool Little Coastal Town ~ Florence, OR (paintyourlandscape.wordpress.com)
Mushrooms: A Wonderful World Of Fungi. (greatgreths.wordpress.com)
New Danish fungal species discovered (esciencenews.com)

May 11, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 3 Comments

Plantosaurus Rex invades the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

Last night was the opening of the new exhibit “Plantasaurus Rex” at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, featuring an amazingly well done exhibit (in addition to the already stunning Aquatic Plants, Highland and Lowland Tropics, and Victorian Potted Plant galleries). For the opening night, the Conservatory also featured live music in the Potted Plant Gallery, two amazing beers from local Pacific Brewing Laboratories (Squid Ink Dark IPA and Nautilus Hibiscus Saison), and a wine bar. What? Great beer, wine, and plants? These people know how to get me to come to a party.

To be honest, I would have gone regardless of the beer and wine. I love visiting the Conservatory whenever I can. I always leave feeling as if I just returned from a 2 week vacation, and last night was no exception. The folks at the Conservatory did a stellar job on this new exhibit and they should be very proud. It contains a variety of plants from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods, as well as a huge T-Rex that extends through the roof to the outside of the authentic Victorian conservatory building.

Plant lovers af all ages will appreciate this exhibit, but there are a few interactive elements sure to entice children. Occasionally along the path of the exhibit is a small button that, when pressed, makes various dinosaur sounds to help you really feel like you stepped back in time. The children there last night were having a great time pressing the buttons (as were the adults). My personal favorite is the “volcano” aspect of the exhibit. The entire floor shakes as loud noises are made and glowing red lights shine from behind the volcano of stacked rocks. It’s not too different from a prolonged (yet localized) earthquake, so out-of-town visitors can have an very San Franciscan experience.

The mighty volcano rumbles the floor beneath your feet when you press the button. Can you see the lava glisten between the rocks amongst the mosses?

I didn’t spend all my time pressing buttons, though. Fortunately, I ran into my friend and former co-worker Larry who now works at the Conservatory. He was explaining many of the different plants in the exhibit to a few people standing nearby when I walked up, specifically about the foxtail ferns (Asparagus meyeri) and monkey-puzzle trees (Auracaria araucana). He has the best job ever.

Cretaceous Period bed: a beautifully-arranged scene with the foxtail fern (Asparagus meyeri) front and center.

This beautifully-arranged scene depicts many flowering plants with origins in the Cretaceous Period, including orchids, and a magnolia (you can just barely see it in the top right), as well as the foxtail fern, grasses. Additionally, their are gymnosperms and cycads from the previous periods (Jurassic and Triassic, respectively).

One of my favorite plants of the exhibit were the monkey puzzle trees (Araucaria araucana) that Larry stated are quite sharp. This South American tree is related to the Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla, syn. A. excelsa) that we commonly see for sale around the holidays, and the bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii) of Australia. While they are now geographically very distant, when these trees first came into existence Australia and South America were united. I really nerded out over this for a while yesterday (and still am now).

Araucaria araucana strategically placed to keep you on the path (they’re sharp!)

My favorite feature overall, though, was the pond. I’m a sucker for any water feature and this one did not disappoint. The rock plantings on the side gave me some great ideas for my backyard makeover (coming this summer!).

The pond

Plantosaurus Rex will be at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers until October 21, 2012, so there’s plenty of time to come see it. They did such a great job on this exhibit, and the permanent galleries are always spectacular, so you should definitely check it out if you live here or are visiting at all! Below are some images of the other galleries to entice you to come see this wonderful historic institution in Golden Gate Park.

Aquatic Plants Gallery

Another view of the Aquatic Plants Gallery

Hairy petals

The Victorian Potted Plants Gallery

The Highland Tropics Gallery

Orchid from the Lowland Tropics Gallery. I can see where both Lewis Carroll and Disney got their idea for the scene when Alice talks with the flowers. Super cool.

And one more orchid face from the Lowland Tropics Gallery. Looks kind of like the Walrus in Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland.

April 18, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 3 Comments

Pelargonium graveolens….who needs coffee?

So….I’m taking a plant identification class taught by a well-known San Francisco plant guru and today we learned about a type of geranium known as the rose geranium, or botanically as Pelargonium graveolens. A geranium? Really? I used to pick caterpillars off them as a kid and put them in my bug farm. They smelled bad, but were the best place in the neighborhood to find a caterpillar. I’m not sure what kind of geraniums we had when I was young, but they were definitely not Rose geraniums. These things smell wonderful. I couldn’t take it away from my nose all throughout class. Simply wonderful.

Pelargonium graveolens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then we began discussing this geranium and it turns out that it can be somewhat of an anti-depressant. What went through my head when I heard this: “You don’t say? This is a week from hell for me…I’ll just sniff in some of it’s amazing fragrance all throughout class.” So I did. But our teacher also told us that in some people this plant can cause disrupted sleep patterns, excessive hyperactivity, and perhaps even heart palpitations. Really? This rather benign-looking geranium can really do all that? But it smells so good! (To be honest, I didn’t care too much for the smell the first time. It reminded me of the scents they put in laundry detergents that that I don’t particularly care for. But then I smelled it again and was hooked).

The beautiful scent alone is just part of the greatness of this plant. It also has the power to reduce inflammation and control bleeding. It’s oils are used in aroma therapy. You can eat the flowers raw, make tea with the fresh leaves, or even use the leaves to add flavor to cakes and jams.

Pelargonium graveolens (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I didn’t think just smelling a cut piece occasionally over the course of an hour could cause one to feel its effects, but it’s now almost 1 a.m. and I’m wide awake. No heart palpitations, I’m not too hyper, but I know my sleep schedule will be very affected. I have to be up at 6 to go on a 4-day field trip with my students – four non-stop days of activities. I’ll be exhausted in the morning….that is, until I find my sample of Pelargonium graveolens from tonight’s class. While I’m a big fan of native gardens, I now can’t imagine my yard not having this plant. Oh well, it’s native to somewhere, right? (S. Africa to be exact.)

March 4, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 12 Comments

A Tree in Your Sidewalk? You Can Grow That!

If you live in an urban environment like I do, your sidewalk might come up all the way to your front steps and garage door. No room for a patch of grass, a boring boxwood hedge, a wonderful native garden…nothing except the weeds that grow in the cracks. Concrete as far as the eye can see. What an eyesore! But thanks to Friends of the Urban Forest (FUF), we had a 4′x6′ square of concrete removed from our “yard” and planted a beautiful primrose tree (Lagunaria pattersonii). Ours was one of approximately 25 trees planted in sidewalks in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco on Saturday morning. Experienced tree planters led homeowners and volunteers in planting and appropriately staking our trees. Our particular group planted four trees: a bronze loquat (Eriobotrya deflexa), two evergreen pear trees (Pyrus kawakamii), and our primrose (L. pattersonii).

Here are some pictures from the plantings (click picture for larger image):

The urban environment is not the most hospitable place for trees, especially wind-blown San Francisco with its many micro-climates. What grows well in one neighborhood might not have a fighting chance in another. Choosing the right tree was difficult for us because of the combination of breezy afternoons and heavy clay soil. We also had the dilemma of not being able to plant our tree curbside because of underground utilities and city codes on sidewalk widths, so our tree had to closer to our house than most street trees. I looked for natives, but none would grow in our conditions (nor did any grow in San Francisco before it was a city – just chaparral plants grew here). We considered several different wind-tolerant trees that can handle clay soil and ended up choosing the primrose for its ability to handle these adverse conditions and it’s rather upright shape in its youth. We couldn’t be happier!

Lagunaria pattersonii has a variety of common names other than primrose. This Australian native is sometimes called the cow itch tree, Queensland pyramid tree, and Norfolk Island hibiscus. It’s in the same family as the hibiscus (Malvaceae) that grow so well in tropical locations, but it’s not in the same genus so the flowers are not nearly as flashy. L. pattersonii produces 1-2″ purple or pink (fading to white) 5-petaled flowers in late spring and summer. The seed pods have small hairs on them that can irritate your skin, so proceed with caution (or throw them at people you don’t like).

L. pattersonii flower (Image via Wikipedia)

The planting was such a great experience for all of us – meeting neighbors, learning how to trees, and, most of all, greening our city! Our block didn’t have any trees on our side of the street until today. We’re hoping that our neighbors will like what they see and want a plant in front of their homes, too!

: Post-Planting Pot Luck in Holly Park

Friends of the Urban Forest has been planting trees in San Francisco for the last 30 years. According to their executive director, of the approximately 108,000 trees in San Francisco, about 45% have been planted by FUF since 1981. These are amazing results from such a spectacular organization! And now that the City of San Francisco is handing over most of its street trees to individual property owners, FUF will play an even more integral role in informing the public on appropriate care and maintenance.

If you live in San Francisco and want a street tree or your cement broken up to put in some native plants, please contact Friends of the Urban Forest. If you live elsewhere, there are many other great organizations, such as Urban Releaf in Oakland, California, Forest Keepers in Missouri, Woodland Trust in the United Kingdom, and Friends of Trees in and around Portland, Oregon. There are more than I can list here, so do a Google search to find one nearest you so that you, too, can grow a tree in your sidewalk!

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On the fourth day of each month, garden bloggers everywhere are coming together to post about what you can grow. Posts will be about anything from growing hops for your home brew to growing your own wedding bouquet. To see others, check out the You Can Grow That! Facebook Page.

S.F. begins turning tree care over to residents (sfgate.com)

February 18, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 2 Comments

Star light, star bright, why did this stargazer lily stain my shirt tonight?

Lilium orientalis cv. Stargazer (Image via Wikipedia)

“A stargazer lily for Valentine’s Day??? Oh, you shouldn’t have! No, really. You shouldn’t have.” is the response that many people make to this large and fragrant lily flower.

People I know either love or hate Lilium orientalis ‘Stargazer.’ I never really had an opinion about them, so after my friend emailed me asking, “Why do so many arrangements include those awful star lilies that smell so strongly and make permanent orange stains on stuff?” I decided to find out a bit more about them.

Look at those anthers full of pollen just waiting to wreak havoc on your white shirt. What a wolf in sheep's clothing! (Image via Wikipedia)

I did already know about how their pollen can stain clothing. I learned that the hard way when I was a kid. The stains will eventually fade, especially if you use a pre-treater before throwing the stained clothing in the washer. Luckily most of my clothes at the time were kid-friendly hand-me-downs that my brother had already “broken in” before he outgrew them. It’s more of a problem when you start wearing nicer clothes….like that “dry clean only” blue sweater that is now the blue sweater with rust-colored spots (I guess I can call it speckled robin egg). If you notice the pollen has landed on your clothes before you’ve smeared it everywhere, you actually have a chance of preventing any stains if you quickly knock the pollen off by shaking the clothing or flicking your finger on the backside of the affected area. Just be careful that you don’t fling it onto someone else’s clothes. It’s the smearing and unsuccessful attempts to brush it off that cause the stains.

These flowers are everywhere these days but have only been around since 1978 when they were first cultivated in California (Does that make it a California native? Politically, yes; botanically, no). They quickly became a Valentine’s Day favorite because of their pinks and reds, and the ability to charge a lot of money for them. We also typically see them around Mother’s Day because what mom wouldn’t enjoy their strong fragrance that quickly overpowers any unpleasant odors that may be emanating from their children….unless of course mom is too busy sneezing from an allergic reaction to the pollen.

For lovers of the stargazer lily, you can make them last longer in water by removing the pollen-laden anthers. You can do the same for stargazers still growing on the plant, too, either in a pot or in the ground. Sure, they won’t pollinate if there isn’t any pollen to be had, but there’s no use trying to get them to seed anyway since they’re a cultivar (although they are often mistakenly referred to as a “hybrid”). Their seeds will not produce another stargazer lily.

Close up of the anthers of an Asiatic Lily, which are similar to those of the Stargazer. Their anthers have an interesting "teeter-totter" effect in the wind. (Image via Wikipedia)

If you can find the bulbs, you can even try to grow them yourself in pots or loose, well-drained soil. Plant them in the fall or spring and give them full sun. They aren’t as easy to grow as other lilies, so if you’re new to lilies you’d be better off starting out with Asiatic lilies. They come in a variety of colors and are a bit simpler than stargazers. If you hate stargazers, you’ll probably appreciate these more anyway.

Orange Lily (Image via Wikipedia)

February 6, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 2 Comments

The Many Magnolias to Enjoy in San Francisco Right Now

Magnolia campbellii, San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park

Now is a great time to make it over to the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The deciduous Campbell’s Magnolia trees, AKA Cup-and-Saucer Magnolia, (Magnolia campbellii) are blooming, and they are a site to see. The branches high above are bursting with the pink and white tepals (see below), with a litter of them carpeting the bare ground beneath your feet. SF Botanical Garden has the largest collection of M. campbellii outside of the Himalayas, which makes it quite an enchanting experience this time of year. Even more impressive, the tree depicted in the image above was the first of its species to bloom in the United States (1940).

Close up of the M. campbellii flowers at the SF Botanical Garden

M. campbellii is considered a precocious-flowering tree. Take a look at the picture. What’s missing? Leaves! There are no leaves on this tree while it’s flowering, making the blooms all the more impressive. This particular species is one of many deciduous magnolias that flower, go into dormancy, grow leaves, go into dormancy again, and then flower again – a four stage yearly cycle.

Each beautiful flower is made up of 12 tepals that are white on the inside and a rich pink on the outside. These flower parts are called tepals rather than sepals and petals because they are almost completely identical in looks. The lower tepals that act like the sepal in a traditional flower are perpendicular to the flower base whereas the middle tepals are parallel, thus creating the “cup and saucer” look.

These trees only flower form February to March, so enjoy them while you can. If you’re in the Bay Area, they are well worth a trip out to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens (formerly Strybing Arboretum) in Golden Gate Park.

And when you’re done there, you can take a leisurely stroll (or a “colorful” ride in the 71 bus) to the corner of Haight and Masonic Streets to see another type of Magnolia. This Magnolia is of the pub variety and is well known for its many micro-brewed beers – all of which are just as intoxicating as the flowers, but in a different way (my favorite is Proving Ground IPA). Now’s the perfect time to go, since February is Strong Beer Month. Hey, might as well make the most of a trip over to Golden Gate Park and enjoy every type of Magnolia this month has to offer!

Cheers!

January 30, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens 2 Comments

Well I’ll be a Monkey Flower’s Uncle

I’ve always been a big fan of the various natural landscapes in California, but I usually tend to miss the forest for the trees when it comes to annuals. I’m usually drawn to the variety of trees and shrubbery for their consistency. Annuals…well…they come and go.

One such group of annuals that I have never paid much attention to are the many species of Monkey Flowers (Mimulus spp.) in the Figwort family (Phrymaceae, formerly Scrophulariaceae) that are annuals. There are also perennial species of Monkey Flower (Diplacus spp. according to some, but still in the Mimulus genus to others), which are the Monkey Flowers I have a deeper appreciation for and know a bit better. I have seen the annual species here and there and have found the pretty flowers quite appealing (especially the yellow ones), but knowing how fast they come and go prevents me from growing too attached. The perennial species only live two to five years as it is. A friend and fellow California Native Plant Society member suggested I write a post on monkey flowers, so I’ve decided to give them a closer look. In my search, I was shocked to find out that a little plant I see every year on vacation in the Eastern Sierras was in fact an annual Monkey Flower, hence what prompted the title of this post.

So the first question I desired to answer when researching this plant was with the name….Monkey Flower. When looking at the beautiful rich yellow of Common Monkey Flower (M. guttatus) or the bright violet Frémont’s Monkey Flower (M. fremontii), I see a five-lobed, pretty flower, but I have a hard time seeing the monkey anywhere. ”Mimus” is Latin for “mimic actor,” and the the disproportionately large flowers on certain species is said by many to appear to look like a monkey or a just a face in general. Perhaps if I ate some of it, I’d see the monkeys (they are edible you know).

Mimulus fremontii, Image via Wikipedia

M. fremontii is a native Californian annual commonly found in the southern parts of the state. It thrives in sandy soil near streams and around shrubs. Like many species of Monkey Flower, it prefers wet conditions. Look at the picture. Do you see the face? (Let me know if you do, because I still can’t.)

As I continued to research monkey flowers I quickly discovered that there were many species out there…approximately 77, actually. While there’s no way I can manage to cover all of them here (even if I only focused on the California natives), I will just focus on two other species – an annual and a perennial – that I enjoy.

Mimulus rubellus Image via Wikipedia

M. jepsonii is the one annual Monkey Flower with which I am actually quite familiar. It is a rather small plant with little purple flowers that enjoy dry sandy conditions. I’ve seen then in fields in the Eastern Sierras, especially the Mammoth Lakes area, and even in the Mojave Desert near Edwards Air Force Base. They are so small and spread out that they don’t look like a carpet of purple on the plain, as romantic as that might be. Because of their size you can easily miss them, or at least not see them until you’re on top of them. This is why I enjoy them so much. They’re an unsuspected little surprise and I’m always excited to see them….and I always try to take pictures of them. Unfortunately I cannot find one at present, but above is an image of M. rubellus which looks similar. I’ll update the picture as soon as I can find one that I have taken.

English: Mimulus aurantiacus in Mission Trails...

M. aurantiacus with red flowers, Image via Wikipedia

The Sticky Monkey Flower (M. aurantiacus) is the Monkey Flower that most people think of in California when they hear the words “monkey flower” and “native” grouped together. It’s one of my favorite because of the variety of colors (and that it’s not an annual). It’s often found in natural areas in Northern California with numerous yellow to orange to red flowers. Yellow seems to be the most common color I see growing on canyon slopes and hillsides areas in and around San Francisco. The Sticky Monkey Flower is actually considered a subshrub or a shrub because it can sometimes be the size of a shrub or somewhere between that of a shrub and ground cover. It’s called “sticky” because the surface of its leaves are sticky, but not sappy or messy. This plant does well in well-draining soil in your garden. Like many California native plants, it does not require a lot of care and pandering like many other plants commonly used in typical landscaping. If you live inland or in an otherwise warm climate, make sure it gets some summer water and some light shade if you don’t want it to drop its leaves. It can be drought tolerant, but prefers to be watered moderately and regularly. They look beautiful when planted in front of larger shrubs in planting beds…….and when growing wildly along your favorite hiking trail. Look for their bright blooms from March through June.

Mimulus aurantiacus with yellow flowers, Image via Wikipedia

January 23, 2012
by Gordon's Gardens Leave a comment

Agapanthus orientalis, more commonly known as Lily of the Nile or Gas Station Lily

Agapanthus orientalis inflorescence

Some people might be shocked, and perhaps will even write me off, because I am devoting my first plant post to Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus orientalis), AKA agapanthus. This plant is commonly used in designed California landscapes because of it’s beauty and how easy it is to grow in our climate. It is often found in pots at gas stations, planted in small islands amongst rows of cars in strip mall parking lots, and at one point was often seen along California highway onramps when the state had money to invest in “freeway beautification.” Of course, when there becomes an influx of too many of one thing, that thing begins to lose value and favor in the eyes of some. Perhaps this “upturning of the nose” is more common in California because we’re fortunate enough to have agapanthuses blooming year round. Maybe if we lived on the East Coast some of us would appreciate them a bit more and not give them common names like “gas station lily,” “freeway lily,” or “obnoxioupanthus.”

Agapanthus orientalis inflorescence and leaves

But I am not here to further promote the anti-agapanthus movement. While it isn’t my favorite plant on earth, it does stir up childhood memories for me of my Grandparents’ backyard in Los Angeles. As someone attuned to plants, a lot of my memories are strongly tied to the sights and smells of the flora I encounter (just wait until I write my posts on Artemisia tridentata, Pinus jeffreyi, and Ephedra californica!) When I think of childhood Easter egg hunts in Grandma and Grandpa’s backyard, I think of how my aunt used to purposely hide hard-boiled eggs amongst the snails living around the base of the agapanthus plant next to the giant grapefruit tree. I was one of the few grandkids who wasn’t disgusted by the sight of a slimy snail creeping along a poorly-died egg in the dirt. I wasn’t going to eat the shell anyway…..I let my brother do that instead.

Agapanthus orientalis with white flowers, found growing in the St. Mary's Park neighborhood of San Francisco

If personal memories of mine or of your own aren’t enough to inspire appreciation of Agapanthus orientalis, perhaps it’s name will be of interest. Botanical names are all latinized and typically get their monikers in one of these ways: 1) after the person who first recorded the plants existence, 2) after specific characteristics of the plant, or 3) after the location where the plant was discovered. So “orientalis” should make you think “Orient,” and therefore coming from somewhere in Asia or nearby. But Agapanthus orientalis is from South Africa. How can this be? Is the Orient really just anywhere that’s not Europe? Well, it was for the explorers back in the day when various European monarchs were sending them off to find places to conquer and colonize. There wasn’t much a difference to the first people who brought Agapanthus orientalis to Europe whether they picked the plant up in Africa, Indonesia, or what is now known as Florida. It was all the Orient to them. So we who talk poorly about this plant nowadays weren’t the first to disrespect it. How many other ways can we offend this plant? Eh, it doesn’t really matter. Look at how well they grow. It’s obvious they don’t care what we say about them or call them.

Plants like agapanthus serve many purposes: 1) They are relatively easy to grow, so even the garden novice can enjoy some horticultural success and be inspired to have faith in their green thumbs. 2) When grown in groups and not completely neglected, they grow large and make us feel like we are in a lush and perhaps even tropical environment. 3) Those spikes of large violet or dark blue or white inflorescences contrasting against the giant mounds of long, bright green leaves truly do inspire you to wish you were somewhere calm and peaceful – or maybe just confuse your mind into thinking you’re not really about to sit in what could be hours of traffic on the freeway.

So next time you see Agapanthus orientalis growing in that gas station planter or next to where you parked your car, think about their beauty, the memories they may inspire in you, or feel bad for how we humans have mistreated them over the centuries. This will take your mind off the fact that gas is almost $4.00 a gallon and the last thing you want to do after working all day is go grocery shopping.

Agapanthus orientalis

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