spiderwort

Virginia spiderwort (tradescantia).  Looks like a grass or weed, and some people think it is because it has a habit of popping up all over the place.  Each stem bears only one purple/blue flower but has a cluster of buds that will open one at a time for several weeks.  Behind that is a clump of purple-leaf loosestrife.  As spring progresses, that will grow two to three feet tall and the color will change to a purple/green blend.  In late summer there will be one very small yellow flower at the tip of each stalk.  I usually end up knocking it back when it gets so tall that is flops over but that doesn’t seem to discourage it at all–in fact, like most plants, I think it enjoys the occasional haircut.

orchid

Had to take a picture; this is the first time I’ve had orchids rebloom. I’d almost forgotten they were there on the shelf in the sunroom. I give them a few drops of water every week or so and had assumed they would die off like every other orchid I’ve ever had, so I was very surprised to see buds developing. Any flower that thrives on benign neglect is my kind of plant.