Contributions from a fellow gardener

I had the great pleasure of meeting a very generous and neat lady when I posted on a gardening forum last fall in search of turks cap seeds. I was anxious to start my garden and was disappointed that my turks cap I had taken from my last garden didn't make the move. Little did I know that she would be so instrumental in helping me start to create my own garden paradise. I went for turks cap seeds and came home with a car load full of plant starts for my garden! Not to mention I got the bonus of getting to enjoy her beautiful gardens, a true inspiration!
Between the crazy winter we had and the drought and extreme heat this year, not all of them are making it, but alot of them are and I thought I would share the wonderful plants that she has passed on to me. I look forward to the day when my plants are more established and I can pay it forward.


Tropical sage and blue mist flower (uh hum, among the ever present hackberry trees)


Cannas for my tropical look! Can't wait for these to start reproducing!


Crinums which will go in their new home this fall, along with a vitex that a client gave me.
The Fairy Rose which has started climbing the pergola already. There were two, one on either column but the grrrrr, lawn guys weed wacked it down to dead. I was not happy about that.

Henry Duelburg (think I spelled that right) or black and blue salvia, absolutely love this one!
Bouncing Bet or soapwort, a particularly sentimental plant for me because it was in my mother's garden. I was crushed when I discovered it didn't survive the move because the cutting was from my mother's garden. However, I am so very pleased that I got it from a fellow gardener and not a nursery, somehow that keeps the specialness alive.
The amazing and gorgeous Brugmansia. I think this is one of my favorites. I can't believe how big it's gotten just since May. I kept waiting for it to bloom all at one time ( has done that once already) so I can take a picture, but of course I am always on the way out the door on those days and by the time I get home, the show is over. Either way, I adore this plant.
There was at least one bloom this morning.
More of the Tropical Sage, do love this plant and southern wood ferns in my one pseudo shady area.
Of course as I am wrapping up this post it occurs to me that I didn't take a picture of the turks cap that started it all. I will include it in future posts as it's not looking very happy right now anyways, but it's hanging on and that's the important part.