Never Mind Roses...I'll Have a Cabbage

Maybe, as usual, I'm just the last to find out about these things, but have you ever in your life laid eyes on an ornamental cabbage?

I stumbled upon some the other day at a garden center & couldn't take my eyes off of them, so I had to bring one home.

The people at the garden center who actually do know a lot about plants told me these are typically planted in the fall & winter to add color to the landscape, but all I could picture was a table-full for a gorgeous fall dinner party.

I asked them about keeping them indoors & they had never heard of anyone doing that, but I decided to give it a try anyway, so I brought one home.

Since I didn't really want the potting soil & the possible bugs on the table, I decided to treat it like a flower & put it in water.

So I wrestled it out of the pot, rinsed off the roots, cut it to the right length, & put it in a vase.

It looks like a humongous purple rose & I love it.

I was warned by the experts that it may start to smell more like a cabbage when it starts to die, but so far, so good. And after several days, it's starting to turn a gorgeous red.

These come in so many different colors & types. Here are just a few more I found...

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If you're looking for something a little different for the table, try these!