Gaura Lindheimeri

I went to the Garden Center yesterday & bought plants for the yard--It always takes me forever, as I go with a list of what I want, but as soon as I start looking at the huge selection of flowers & plants, I start to change my mind! Everything looks so pretty, but I don't have much room to put in more plants--these are mainly for the planters in the front & back. Three times I picked out flowering plants, & 3 times I changed my mind on the colors so I'd put them all back & take different ones, then I'd start all over again. I was driving myself nuts, as I don't normally waffle about anything, so I finally just had to pick one grouping, as I don't have room for all 3 sets!! This is Pink Picotee Gaura, also known as lindheimer's beeblossom. I needed something that tolerates heat, as one of my planters is mounted on the outside wall of the house, & the bricks get pretty hot in the summer. I love how delicate the flowers look. I also ended up buying 2 butterfly bushes, as the one I had died several years ago. Again the "decision" problem, as they had 7 different kinds of butterfly bushes--the newest & one of the most popular, according to one of the employees there--is called "The 4th of July" & when it blooms it has flowers in red, white & blue, all on the same bush! So I thought it was an easy choice--I'd take that one--until I read that it gets over 6 feet tall!! Not enough room for that one. So I decided on a "petite" bush, only they came in 3 different colors & sizes! Do I want purple, or pink, or salmon colored? But then I spot the scarlett one......... When I got home I told Tom we needed a bigger yard!! Don't know why, but he gave me the "eye roll"! Haha! My "quick trip" to the center ended up taking me 2 1/2 hours, but it WAS really enjoyable! Now I just have to wait to plant everything until our nighttime temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees so that I don't kill my well- thought- out plant selections by putting them in the ground too early! :)