Garden Goodies

The freeway was backed up this morning, so I detoured towards town and stopped at Another Place In Time. I decided to "repeat my winners" (David Ogilvy). I bought two kinds of basil - "African Blue" which I'll let bloom prettily with purple spikes against the brick wall, the other is, "Sweet Aussie, " a non-bloomer. I'll plant it closer to harvest easier. (Hot! Sun! Sharp mulch! Tender feet! Ouch!) That kitchen garden is cranky, and most of the time it's 50-50 what will grow. The only survivors from a few months ago are the Oxalis and the purple-leafed Heuchera, "Plum Pudding. " The remaining Sunsatia is all green and leafy, but hasn't flowered again. The Rock Rose is still blooming and the Thraylis is getting ready to flower. He's a real trooper - survived the freezes, the duranta removal and Hardiplank installation a few years ago. Because it is a walled in area, the chimes I hang from one of the branches alerts me when a front/storm is heading our way. Otherwise they don't make any sound, I'm sure the neighbors appreciate that.

This plant was supposed to be a bush - It has turned into a 7 foot tall tree. It's a Jatropha. The butterflies and hummingbirds love it.

Since my salvias seem to do well in the front (the red and white "Hot Lips" has taken off and looks great), I thought I would try two new ones. On the right I didn't even think was a salvia, it looks more like a sage, it's all fuzzy -- "Purple/White" Salvia Leucantha. And this looks more like a traditional salvia - "Cobalt Blue" Salvia Guaranitica. The blooms really are that blue, you can see a bud on the left.

Check out the center of the Heliotrope, it's a bud - yay!

And I got a new cosmos, "Sunny Gold," to join these guys -- you can see a little of the hummingbird bush making its comeback on the left.