hey u r right. some of the valeriana pics i found on the net look very similar, while others don't. i guess there are more varieties. THANKS!

Lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina)

This came from a mixed seed pack ... it's perennial, a couple feet tall, and the leaves have a long white fuzz. Image link:

I drove by it again and shot a picture with my cell phone. Its not a very good picture. Its from quite a distance. THis clump is small. I saw the same exact flowers somewhere else in a much larger clump, but I can't remember where I saw them. The color is so striking. Untouched. Maybe its what an aster looks like if grown wild with no shaping . Nah, I think its too tall even for wild... and the leaves don't look aster-like either. Maybe I'll go back there with my good camera and be able to zoom closer. Or maybe I could knock on the door!