This is my african blue basil which as you can see is pretty big, much bigger then I ever expected it to get. I also tried to take some pic of the honey bees that are always all over this plant.

Here's my large pink flowered porterweed that has been a butterfly and hummingbird magnet all summer.

An unknown type of frog hanging out inside of one of my brass flowers.

Some variety of philippine violet that I was given at a swap. I love the stripping on this flower.

And here's a picture of the same plant mixed in with a blackeyed susan vine that's sprawled across a cast iron headboard.

A look down my front sidewalk.

My parent's chinese mandarin hat plant.

And their mexican sunflower which is growing against and through a six foot tall fence. I took the last picture while standing directly under the plant.

And lastly this is a small cluster of mushrooms that I found growing in my parents front yard under some oak trees. You can see how small the mushrooms are compared to the size of the grass blades and acorns surrounding them.

Just a few days ago, I saw the pink porterweed at a local nursery. As with so many potted plants that are yearning for more space, it looked lanky and unimpressive. Then this A.M. on my morning walk, I spied a healthy clump in someone's yard and began to think better of it. Your clump also puts this plant back in the "favorable" column.

I look forward to opening the links in this forum each day. BUT, just when I convince myself that I will NOT add another plant to the garden-with-no-more-room, you all post a picture of the-plant-I-must-have.

And this weekend is the Mt. Dora Foliage Fest...and I'm going. - June

The only things blooming in my yard at the moment are begonias, pentas, plumbago, lantana and a few flowers on a Mexican flame vine.

Oh, and tomatoes and peppers! I like those blooms 'cause I know fruit will be here soon (but not soon enough!).

Thank you again for the inspiration!

wt

Love that chinese hat plant.

Anna

Juneroses, when I planted that ABB I had no idea that it was going to get that big but now I'm glad that it did. I love the way it smells every time I brush past it. And even though it is always covered in bees they are much too busy with the flowers to take notice of me. Give the pink porterweed a try! It's a great plant, just remember to give it lots of room to grow as they tend to get pretty big. I personally prefer the pink porterweed to the purple variety. The pink has much bigger leaves and isn't a dense so it doesn't tend to choke out any plants that may be growing nearby.

Coffeemom, I had to go back and look at the flowers again after reading your post. They really do look like the mushrooms from Fantasia don't they!

Anna, I haven't used the basil for cooking but I have brought cuttings into the house just so that I could enjoy the scent.

Felix, I'm not surprised that you haven't seen the chinese hat plant before since it's really a zone 10 plant. My parents bought it at a local seafood and art festival several years ago. It freezes to the ground every winter but never fails to start growing again in the spring. The stripped Ph violets I got at a swap this year but I can't remember who gave it to me. I'm going to have to start some cuttings to make sure I have some next year just in case it doesn't survive the winter.

I love how your African Blue Basil looks. Mine is growing upright and tall.

Very pretty garden!! I love to take pics of the interesting mushrooms that pop up here and there too. lol

Tina

Tom

I'll try the ABB in a container to see how it does.

I also love that Philippine Violet, how can it be propagated? Cuttings? Seeds?

Tom

Again, this is the first year I've had that philippine violet so I don't know if it will produce seeds or if it does, whether or not the seeds will be true to color. I do know that the regular purple version roots very easily so I imagine this variety will as well.