You're so sweet, Nancy.
Well, I did think about putting it in a bigger pot, but the next size up (12") would not work. The plant would fit, hanging over the edges, but the overhang would prevent me from filling in around it. And a bigger pot than that would be beyond my limits, size-wise. I have a bad back so try to pay some attention to the size of my pots. Very special exceptions only on the high end.
I don't think it will shrivel into nothing when it makes the big move, though. Container life in full sun is way harder than life in the ground in full sun, what with the roots being baked by the pot as it warms up in the sun. I have actually saved a few plants which were dying of sunstroke in pots just by putting them into the ground, with the same exposure. So I'm hopeful this will all work out in the end. I'm waiting for the fall when the light is kinder and there is some rain on the horizon to plant it in the garden.
For what it's worth, this plant seems to be a different beast entirely when it's grown in AZ. The amount of protection you have to provide to keep it from heatstroke is enough to stretch everything out pretty good. Our climate allows way more exposure.
