Lady's Mantle

My favorite gardener at my favorite garden store recommended Alchemilla mollis because of the way it looks when the raindrops sparkle on the bright flowers and gray green leaves. I got in the ground just in time to take advantage of the past two days of unseasonable storms, and indeed it looks lovely, glilttering against the dark mulch. The droplets gathering in the leaves were known by the ancients as celestial water, and used in alchemy in the quest to turn base metal into gold. I am quite satisfied simply to admire the transformation in this corner of my garden--it's amazing what happens when you finally pull out ugly old plants and put in something that sings.