My Very Own

A little while ago I posted a tiny quote from the Southern Living Garden Book about my favorite herb: Aloysia Triphylla, the beloved Lemon Verbena.

About a month ago I began noticing signs all around our neck of the woods advertising for the Webster Groves Herb Sale. I wanted to check it out last year, but missed it. When I saw the signs this year (that popped up overnight like spring crocuses) I decided to check for a website so I could check for a comprehensive list of herbs-for-sale, to check for Lemon Verbena. Well I checked and found all three. I was so very excited about. I was going to have my very own Lemon Verbena plant. In my very own yard. Later this summer I would have leaves to make my very own, very favorite tea.

But I missed the sale. Sadly, it coincided with our celebration of the girls' birthdays at the Botanical Garden's Chinese Culture Days. I was pretty broken up about it, as you can imagine. Stupid scheduling conflicts. Stupid laws of the natural world that won't allow me to be in two places at once. When I realized that I had missed the sale I spent the next 48 hours in search of other herb societies that might be having other sales. I thought about calling local elementary schools that raise money by selling plants. Maybe they would have it, I thought. I also considered trying my luck with an on-line purchase. Normally I wouldn't want to buy a plant sight-unseen, but for Lemon Verbena I began to think that I just might.

The thoughts of tracking down my favorite herb didn't last. I replaced these thoughts with feeble attempts to forget about it and not feel too disappointed.

And then today I saw a notice (on Facebook!) about an upcoming plant sale at the Botanical Garden. The Greenhouse Plant Sale will take place in a little less than a week, the notice said. I didn't dare hope that they'd also have my coveted Lemon Verbena. After all, it's a bit obscure, at least it's obscure in the tea isle. Plus, I expected that a Greenhouse sale would feature exotics and tropicals; things like that--things that would require a Greenhouse.

Though the odds were against it, I checked their website to check for a comprehensive list of herbs-for-sale, to check for Lemon Verbena. After finding all three, I had a smile on my face. So what if there are scheduling conflicts? So what if the laws of the natural world won't allow me to be in two places at once? Somewhere in this fine city, there will be another plant sale, and that sale will have exactly what I want. And in about a week, I am going to have my very own Lemon Verbena plant. In my very own yard. And later this summer, I am going to have leaves to make my very own, very favorite tea.