The common name of leadwort doesn’t do justice to this ground-hugging perennial. The plant is pretty, but unassuming for most of the year, but then as autumn arrives, some of the most beautifully colored flowers on the planet burst forth.

I’ve had this plant on the edge of the orchard garden for twenty years and it doesn’t disappoint. The trick is to remember to look for it during its season when everything else in the garden is shutting down.

My future plans for this plant are to keep it weeded, watered and fed and possible divide it to spread it around to some more visible places in the garden.