The emotional roller-coaster ride that is mystery plants from the Zellers garden centre clearance rack

Mystery plant outside, originally uploaded by jocelynb.

So, I am a total sucker for plants on the clearance shelf in garden centres -- the sketchier the garden centre, the greater my sense of pathos. (Actually the reaction I have is almost identical to the one I get from Spike Jonze's Ikea commercial. Or, actually, this clip from Community. Because the part of my brain that personifies things without consciousness has had too much caffeine. OR NOT ENOUGH LOVE.)

Anyway, as a result I end up with these sad, bedraggled plants in my garden sometimes, and I don't necessarily know what they are, or even whether they are annuals or perennials. BUT! This one is apparently a perennial! Which means that I really got my $1's worth. I have three of these, and they have pretty, variegated pink leaves. Plus their new spring shoots look DELICIOUS. And pink! Like Gaga Pink! Yay spring! Yay mystery plants! Yay lamp!

This picture also signifies the fact that I'm finally out in my outside garden, trying to clean up some of the disastrous last-year mess. I did NOTHING to clean up my garden last fall. I mean, literally, the snow is melting and under the snow are pots, and bags of lawn clippings, and 8 months' worth of dog poop, and apparently at least a few plants that are going to grow again. (Or at least, they'll grow again if I hold up my end of the bargain and clear away the debris that is blocking the sun.) But it's still not really at a point where I'm comfortable taking pictures of it. Just take what you see in this picture -- mud, dead leaves, dead plants from last year -- and extrapolate.