Mitriostigma axillare "African Gardenia

Speaking of scent, this little known plant smells wonderful, the flowers are small but fragrant. It is in bloom currently, it blooms off and on all year long. Soon my hoyas will be setting buds, now there is a plant that smells like heaven.

More Angel Wing Begonias

A couple more pictures of two angel wing begonias. I still can't figure out why it has taken me so long to grow these plants. I am going to have to read up on proporating them so I can have even more next winter, now if they only had a wonderful scent.

Brugmansia

http://mrbrownthumb.blogspot.com/2007/03/brugmansia-in-chicago.html

While visiting Mr Brown Thumb's blog I read a note he wrote about Brugmansia. I love these plants, I had one last summer that I kept in a pot on the patio, it did not start blooming until August but was always in bloom the rest of summer, the blooms lasting one day, the flowers are highly fragrant. In September when frost warnings started I brought the plant into the house, at the time is was loaded with buds, it bloomed in the basement for about the next 5 weeks, the blooms lasted 3-4 days in the basement and in the evening you could smell the flowers over the entire house. It is still green, as soon as the weather warms I am going to put it in a bigger pot with new soil and take it back outside. If the plant did not bloom outside at all, just having the last little bit of summer to bring inside would be worth it! I also ordered another one, a different color, from Select Seeds. I have not tried growing one from seed but I have grown Datura from seed, it is very easy.

Cosmos

Cosmos are one of my favorite flowers, I love to pair them with Cleome (spider flower), when I first started gardening years ago cosmos and spider flowers were some of the first flowers I picked out to plant along with sunburst cosmos. When I was growing up there was an old lady who lived up the street that had a large flower garden, she always had spider flowers, I was fascinated by those flowers. I do not remember the woman's name but I do remember her garden. Have I become that old woman???? :)

Tickled Pink

Shades of Pink

For anyone who does not know Iowa weather, these photos were all taken last spring and summer.

Little Pink Flowers for you and me