Flora fantasies

Our fieldtrip got rained on, just as we were eating lunch.  It was maybe 20 minutes of a pretty hard rain...enough to soak everyone before we reached the bus.  Even though it passed, the temperature dropped as the storm pushed through, and it was decided that wet kids weren't going to manage well. 

Of course, I was at the arboretum long enough to find two plants that I just loved!

The beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) is the purple one in front, the Arkansas blue star (Amsonia hubrictii) is the yellow stuff in the background.  Both were spectacular for fall foliage!  Unfortunately, neither is a drought-tolerant as I need them to be.  pooh.  I guess I'll put them in my *someday* file...