Reprieve granted

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I had finally put the potentillia that I never really liked in the first place out of its misery. Well, my misery really, because it wasn't doing too badly, I just couldn't stand it in the garden anymore.

There is one other plant that has underperformed since we bought the house. A Rose of Sharon was here (in the former vegetable garden that eventually became the circle garden) when we bought the house more than nine years ago and I've moved at least three times since then. A few years ago I just stuck them in the main garden, but shortly after that I planted a purple smokebush (Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'), which has since taken off.

Frankly, I'm just sick of moving this Rose of Sharon, which has annually produced about three blooms for all that hard work, and it was scheduled for the chopping block this year. It's only because I've been so busy with the back yard that it wasn't tossed in the compost heap months ago.

Well, I guess that Rose of Sharon caught wind of its fate because check out what it did this year.

Not only has it put on about a foot of height but it's covered in blooms.

I might seem ruthless with underperforming plants but I'm not totally heartless. Any plant that tries that hard to please can stay. But it can't stay where it is, so I'm currently looking for a new, permanent home for it. I'm sure it will carry a grudge for a couple years, but eventually it will get over it and reward me again. It better anyway, because I'm about to save it from the compost heap.