![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu8APThDPYMwi906N06ewY2Zs5TCZ-vo2_ao4ILVlRhbro9HxycnRz_D3FcL9JWUCoZ4APUWiyAcgb4X7KRfJ9Duh14SHb79jnkurRglqBqk4mczBMIw2HWoYfyP878lQUG-XCko2pHw/s400/gnusflash.jpg)
I already mentioned how happy I am with my new purchase Volcano phlox. On the flip side, I've had a couple disappoints this season. The first was Gnus Flash. The photo on the left is the iris I thought I bought. The photo on the right is the iris I actually got. I bought it locally at one of our boutique garden centers. It wasn't blooming but I fell for the photo.
There is no way to prevent something like this and I'm not overly upset about it. I did do a double take when it first started to bloom. I thought, where in the world did that come from. Oh well, it isn't ugly, but it isn't Gnus Flash. I really wanted that dramatic black, white and tan bloom.
I know this happens when you buy from Walmart or Menards or HomeDepot. You don't usually pay a premium price at those box stores so it is easier to forgive them;) Box stores offer a guarantee too. The garden boutique guarantees the plant until the cashier grabs the money from your hand. Then you and the plant are on your own.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwopbsXkMd8MB3HXKTpk9K0wljTvpsKe35fkebsnEdcBJDHusD9hQQ04EVt1KDHQF_r9RemFycrJwE4vKxmrlYUDJZwENd0EtdqtCKzvSxlS3XQWpuBwXwGgXEm4WzoMXqhaN4lvldKTo/s200/good+gnus.jpg)
Another kind of disappointing plant was sea holly (eryngium). It was unusual and I loved it for about a week. See the photo below, it's gorgeous. Then it lost it's blue color and looked like a pasture thistle. I don't know if that's normal or if there was a disease problem. I bought it to dry for winter arrangements. It isn't stellar in that department. I'm going back out to find some wild teasil to dry instead.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsECtNXDu9Mukt5U_JbX0AL6-lGG0akgiwZbRi2TeLlnhcPOIfCYM_VcDlVBjNXMCEcL2IAiwWXqA0b3F-V8ixhk57yJZ_iUMbzoO94fW_g93BBJ9XK9AFt0AVw3YJGPaU3-JoMCOCcI/s400/sea+holly2.jpg)