pic from Houston 4-30

Could you add a photo to show the entire plant?

Afraid not, pic was from Houston when visiting my daughter, it's the only one of this plant.

It puts me in mind of a double-flowered Kalmia, e.g. Kalmia latifolia 'Madeline':

http://plantlust.com/plants/ka...

It looks like a floral arrangement called a 'pomander', popular at the moment for weddings.

The flowers and leaves remind me of a double-flowered form of Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus.) It's a little hard to tell for sure from the photo, but the basic flower shape and stamen and pistil arrangement look about right. If it is, it is an exceptionally nice form with that dreamy coloration. Lovely!

Can you provide any clues? Was this likely a shrub, perennial, other?

If I remember correctly, a hanging basket...

I think some human intervention might have been involved. It looks like a pomander ball studded with azalea blooms.

It was a while back when I was down there; I came across the pic when reviewing my rather massive library of photos.

Looks like azalea blossoms in there to me too.

It's definitely not an Azalea. The pistil shape is totally wrong for an Azalea. Notice how the pistils are split or forked.

It still looks like a double Dianthus barbatus to me.
The pistil shape is right, see photo for comparison (plant in photo is single-flowered rather than double):


The stamen and anther shape and coloration is right:
http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/...

Dianthus barbatus plants have the same leaf shape, have "balls" of flowers, often have flowers with mutable coloration like this specimen and double forms also exist. It just looks like one with an exceptionally nice-looking form and coloration to me.

Now I want one that looks like this one!

Most likely. Paid no attention to the pistils.

Just a guess but think it could be a verbena? http://search.aol.com/aol/imag...

How big was the actual cluster? 1 or 4 or 6 inches across?

More in the 4 to 6" range

The wire support ring is confusing to me, but its looks a lot like one of the Ball Rhododendrons?

Am I the only person who is seeing two distinctly different flowers in this photo?

To my eyes it's a pomander made of azalea blooms.

I only see one, with variations of colors appearing in the blooms.
I think Danita may be right, when I first saw it too thought it looked like a dianthus.
Here is a photo of Dianthus barbatus that looks a lot like it.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/w...