The word for the day is “containers.”

As in, I spent a pleasant chunk of Sunday padding about my neighborhood nursery, then coming home with my treasures and filling 11 containers. There are five devoted to tomatoes and cucumbers, as the dread I felt at properly preparing the garden was replaced by inspiration. There is a small one seeded with “cat grass,” with results to be reported later. There is a toy wheelbarrow with two varieties of hens and chicks, which my grandfather used to grow in milk crates.

Then there are the color-themed pots. One is purple (of course). One was built around a fabulous yellow and pink iris, and of course I do not have the tag handy to report the variety.

The other two I had a semi vision for, having picked up a couple of deep red Asiatic lilies the day before. I found a couple of deep red clustered flowers that spring horizontally, and thought I was done.

Then, near the end of my looping path through the outdoor display, I saw them: black vinca. I looked more closely; surely just a dark purple? Probably, but even after up close and personal time with them, they look black. So cool.

This post originally appeared on ourMidland.com, the online home of the Midland (MI) Daily News. Republished with permission.