Insignificant flowers

[Polly McDaniel]

It’s like learning to drink port or sherry as you grow older.
I’ve always been a flower person, but foliage for the sake of glorious foliage also has its place, I have learned. When reading about a certain plant here or there, one runs across the term “insignificant flowers.”
OK, what gives?
Well, plants with insignificant flowers often have other gifts, like wondrous variegated foliage.
I recently installed one such plant in an urn, in a prominent place in my garden. And I even put a solar light on it to enjoy it at night as I come and go by the garden gate. This plant is not winter hardy, alas, so I’ll have to bring it in and baby it for the winter. Did I mention that I really, really need a greenhouse, even a small one?
Darn it, I removed the tag from the thing so I can’t give you the name (a no-no, and something I don’t usually do). It’s an ornamental grass-like plant, with wide variegated leaves that gracefully sweep back over, turning toward the ground in an arch. But I am enjoying it nonetheless. And yes, is has insignificant flowers.
So ….. pass the sherry.