Here's the label

I love heliotrope, too. Try the white variety. It's even more fragrant.

Hi Will07,

That is an unusual favorite annual. I don't think heliotrope would even be in my top 10 of favorite annuals, although if I had a fragrant bed of them, I might change my mind. Some petunias (they are in my top 10) have a fragrance that I like. I took the liberty of turning your picture upright, because it is a nice picture.

{{gwi:22426}}
Zinnias are my favorite annual, but unfortunately they have no noticeable fragrance. They are able to attract a great variety of butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds, so maybe they have some kind of fragrance that we don't detect. I do smell a zinnia from time to time, in hope that it will have some fragrance. There is a tiny amount sometimes, but nothing that you would notice at a distance. If I ever found a zinnia that had fragrance, I would save a lot of seeds from it, because I breed zinnias as a hobby.

ZM

I love heliotrope, too. Try the white variety. It's even more fragrant.

Zenman, thank you for posting my pic upright and very interesting opinion! I myself would never include petunias in my top ten...maybe a 9 if it was a really vibrant plant. I just don't like them. I do LOVE the look of zinnias when they are in full bloom. I haven't grown any myself because I don't know much about them and I'm sure the earwigs would love to eat them.

Susan, I've seen many of the white ones, but I didn't realize there was a difference in smell. I liked the look of the purple one better. Next year I plan on getting several of both colours!

Hi Will07

" I haven't grown any myself because I don't know much about them and I'm sure the earwigs would love to eat them."

Zinnias are easy to grow. However, an organic mulch can create an environment that earwigs like, and they can be quite destructive at night if there are a lot of them. Earwigs and pillbugs both seem to like "forest floor" conditions, with rotting leaves and such. Their populations can explode in such an environment.

To prevent that, I don't use an organic mulch anymore. Instead, I use a sand mulch. Earwigs and pillbugs won't live in sand. And my plants seem to do well in it, as well. And sand doesn't "track in" like mud will.

ZM

Mine is snow on the mountain. I had it in 2009 then it disappeared. It came back this year. I really love the variegated leaves! :)

I love heliotrope too, though I'm not sure where I'd rank it on my list of favorites. Mine were labeled "Fragrant Delight" (purple) and "Fragrant White." I think both smell fantastic. The white seems to bloom more often, but sprawls more. Wonderful in a hanging basket at nose level. :-) They are hard to find locally so I decided to overwinter. Now that I have a mail-order source and a smaller apartment, I might compost them in fall and order new for spring. Heliotropes are not happy indoors in dry air. They drop lots of leaves and seem to spontaneously generate aphids. I had trouble getting cuttings to root in autumn, so I saved the original plants. I did get a few cuttings to root this spring. This year I have a window box crammed with both colors, but so far only the white is blooming.

Yes, Heliotrope is one of my favorites, too! I grow it every year. Love the flowers, love the foliage, and adore the scent. Some varieties seem to be more fragranced than others.

I bought the old-fashioned white variety in the past, and while it was nice, it just didn't wow me the way the purple cultivars do.

I just don't get the scent. I keep sniffing around whenever I see them for sale and smell nothing! Maybe I haven't run into one of the real old fashioned fragrant ones, but still I should get something!

I garden on a small balcony with only a few hours of sun, but I love variegated everything. it makes it pretty hard to combine things. so far I found coleus to be king, it somehow blends everything in, even though it's a garish plant by itself.
my faves out of necessity of site are petunias, coleus, begonias and caladiums. but I also add ivies, crotons and spider plants 'for grass'. and all of them are variegated LOL.
this year I tried 3 varieties of coleus, 2 of which are yellow-green. it came out pretty good, I think. all due to coleus!

This post was edited by petrushka on Fri, Aug 16, 13 at 11:20

here's another pic with just 1 coleus, but it lights up the whole corner

petrushka, I am so happy to read this post. Your pictures and plants are GORGEOUS. You mention that petunia is one of your faces, but you only have "a few hours of sun." Petunias are my obsession this year and all the "experts" say they need 5 to 6 hrs of sun. Your petunias are HEAVENLY, so please tell me how many hours yours get each day. I am so tired of moving my heavy pots around my yard to get some sun.
Pat

thank you, pat!
as far as flowers go for my spot petunias are an absolute fave for me.
I have a NE balcony on the Hudson in NJ right across from nyc, so only one corner gets sun 6am till 10 am - at the most near solstice. in august it's already 3 hours... but they still bloom well.
the ones next to the wall, 4' from the railing get even less - 2-3 hours, but they bloom very well too. but it's very bright light, 'cause it's a shallow balcony and 9' hi.
I do select the ones that say part-sun to sun on the label.
some say 'sun' only. I avoid those.
also in the heat, when it gets over 85F they actually prefer to be in the shade in the afternoon, as far as I know.
but I don't have these gigantic baskets like other people do, so may be they are not so crowded?
and also I keep some petunias in half-gallon containers, not in big pots and rotate them every 2 weeks to a diff spot, from shadier to sunnier,etc - and they keep going this way, even to October, when I get no sun at all! I had a few flowers on thanksgiving believe it or not.
can't resist to put another pic from july last year.

Thank u for replying. I know where u r in NJ & I envy u but I love my yard in Mich. we,ve had so much rain & cold nites this yr that my petunias r not growing very fast but your reply eases my worry about amt of sun. Your pics are beautiful. Hope u will post often on this forum. On iPad, excuse spelling. Thk u again.

I luv ur tuberous begonias & coleus also. My coleus not growing well this yr.

coleus loves warmth, it declines quite fast come September here. BUT.. we've had very warm Septembers for many years, it's my my fave month.
and i'm afraid that it won't be the case this year. it's already breathing fall. I don't remember having 58F at nite in aug.
petunias on the other hand are cool mountain plants - they quite like cold nites. it won't stop them, so long as there is sun. some sun at least.
the same with tuberous begonias.
yah..well, what can we do ?
it's weird weather all around.
I know ivies will take off come 50s' ;). and all the mites will fall asleep...finally!

Heliotrope has a beautiful smell. I had them a couple of summers, but they just didn't flower enough for me. Coleus is always in my gardens and some pots. I have a few that are favorites of mine that I get every year. Certain million bells I get every year for my pots, but one plant that is new to me, Dahlberg daisy, is right up there with the coleus. This is the 3rd summer that I've had some in my pots. I love everything about them, the color, the scent and foliage. Last summer it was very hot...upper 90s to days over 100, and they still did well, even in full sun. This is a plant I'll be getting every year. Next year I want to try it in my gardens.

Kat

I'm already saying "wait til next year" and it's only aug 17.
I put coleus on porch for more warmth. Already had below 50 at nite. Crazy year. Thanks again.

I've just been growing coleus for two years, and they have become a favorite. I read everywhere that they are shade plants, but I gave some extra seedlings to my SIL. She planted them in full sun and hers are twice the size of mine and beautiful. And there are so many different colors and patterns with coleus. And no deadheading. What's not to love?

Martha

Martha, our cold nites have me putting my coleus against the house, which means out of the sun this year. Crazy weather.