Are These Weeds… or Landscaping in Downtown Rochester?

The on-going construction project near the Townsquare Media studios in downtown Rochester has me wondering about these plants, and if they're actual landscaping... or merely weeds.

Now, I'll be the first to tell you I do NOT have a green thumb at all. Keeping things alive, like our lawn or the plants growing in our vegetable garden is often a challenge for me, despite my best intentions.

That doesn't mean, though, that I don't appreciate the aesthetic touches that are part of all the on-going construction projects here in Minnesota's Med City. I think our city is actually the most scenic and well-landscaped out of any place I've lived.

But I do have one question that occurred to me while watching the on-going construction project along 4th Street downtown. (And, by the way, when I say it's on-going, I'm not kidding-- it's been underway for well over a  year now, and despite the fact that it was supposed to have been completed LAST FALL, it's STILL going on!)

And that question is, are these plants just weeds... or are they actually part of some native landscaping? Take a look at these two pictures at the left. The top picture is of what I believe is the actual finished landscaping just outside the new Discovery Square Building.

But then look at the second picture. It's of some lush green plants in the median of 4th Street, right in front of the Discovery Square Building. Are those plants also part of the finished landscaping... or are they just weeds? They could be either, couldn't they? So just what are they?!?

What do you think?

Listen to Curt St. John from 6 to 10 a.m. on Quick Country 96.5
and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 103.9 The Doc