Yes, I planted the purple nicotiana seeds that sweetannie sent me. There are lots of seedlings coming up down in the orchard beds, not sure I can recognize the nicotiana just yet.

I love the datura. I need to get some of that for next year. Is it as scented as the white?

My purple queen never looks that good either. Even in its second year, it's just a few tall pieces with lots of gaps.

I have nicotiana too. Lots of seeds being dispersed whenever I see them. The purple isn't scented though. The white is great in the evenings.

I did plant my purple nicotiana. Took FOREVER for them to get to good planting size? Hopefully I can get them established earlier next year.

We tried Daturas 2 years ago and they really got eaten up badly by something and very produced much. How do you control the insects that like to eat them up? Yours are beautiful Nell!

I use a lot of setcresia

GGG

Pinch off the long pieces and stick down into the gaps, Tom. They root easily.

GGG, survival of the fittest here. I don't spray. Caterpillars on the Datura turn into those huge moths I can't name right off. The little beasties that mottle the leaves with spots finally take off and new leaves grow.

Nicotianas finally get to be big felty leaves, but not as big as real tobacco. I cut back anything that looks overgrown, or discolored.

Your purple heart is so eye catching with the spiky green in front of the stone, I did have this once but grew it as a container plant. I love seeing plants that are tender for me planted out in a garden setting.
I don't have anything purple blooming at the moment but a little later my monkshood will be putting on it's yearly show, that is if I don't get tired of holding the hose and go for the sprinkler which knocks it flat.

Annette

Good grief, Nell!
Your "purples" are almost surreal! So vivid!

I have Purple Heart, but it doesn't hold a candle to yours.
Some is in a pot and some I planted out in the garden two years ago to see if it would come back after our hard winters...and it did! It got hidden this year by the overzealous Variegated Artimesia which has yellow green and dark gray green colors. It is growing at the feet of my garden statue. That was the front of the bed last year, but the bed now extends out another three or four feet. So I need to move it to the "new" front.

I have a tall purple-leaf Canna. It blooms bright red torch-like flowers. Not blooming yet.

I have a dark purple Phlox that has flower buds, but not blooming quite yet. The foliage and stems have a smokey-purple color and dark green. It got powdery mildew last year and nearly died. This year it bounced back and has grown tall and pretty and no mildew (knock on wood). It tends to flop for some reason.

These are in the same bed as the red HH and Don Juan climbing rose. There is also purple-leaf Perilla - looks a lot like purple Ruffled Basil. It's a great filler plant.

I plan on getting another Purple-leaf Sand Cherry to set in there somewhere. I bought a purple-leaf Maiden Grass but haven't set it in there yet. I haven't figured out where to plant it yet. I have Lady-in-Red Salvias ready to set in there too.

I want a great big rock (boulder) to set in there. Then I can move some of the Purple Heart over in front of it.

Annette sent me some seeds from her Black Mondo grass. That was supposed to go in there and would have been awesome next to my big boulder...but they didn't make it. (I'm sorry Annette - they came up and then those late freezes killed them back before they got a good start. Darned crazy weather! Same thing happened to the Purple Beautyberries I started from seed that "somebody on here" sent to me. I had three pretty little plants, too. Dad nab it!)

My Black Elephant Ears died last winter when the power went out. Yours are gorgeous!

And now I have that darned song stuck in my head. Thanks a lot Nell! (wink)

"When the deep purple falls, over sleepy garden walls, and stars come out and twinkle in your eyes..." Aaaah!!!

~Annie

Cameron explained today on her blog about how sunlight and shadows affect photos. These were taken late in the day, as shadows were falling. You can see late rays of sun in the pic where the striped cannas are behind the Black Ele Ears. Someone else had a thread on sunlight, I think early morning sunlight.

I was fortunate to keep the Ele Ears inside over the winter, they're cold tender. I always mean to buy some ophiopogon -- that's the black mondo grass, isn't it?-- when I see some in the nursery, but have put it off. I keep little pots of Purple Heart rooting all the time. It really enjoyed the rains last week. If we don't get more rain soon, it will have to have watering, but it can tolerate a little drought.

Annie, here's a different tune to run through your head today: Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, Lav- en -ders green.... LOL.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cameron Explains about Sun and Shadows Effect on Pics

My cleome is purple this year. It was seeded from white/pink Sparkler series.

{{gwi:628568}}

Wintersown petunias are purple to pink.

{{gwi:628569}}

Purple heart. This is my best clump and still isn't performing the way I had hoped. I started this area last summer using clippings from a single plant I got from a friend. Just as Nell said, I stuck them in the dirt and kept them watered.

{{gwi:628570}}

Finally, Persian Shield. It loved the rain yesterday.

{{gwi:628571}}

not the best picture, but one of my absolute favorite purples.
{{gwi:628572}}

jaynine, what is that gorgeous flower?

I checked over my beds. The phlox one minute look purpley/lavender and then hot pink. I do have lots of self seeded petunias in purples and lavenders and some nicotiana and the hyacinth beans stems and veins qualify...only one bloom so far and it is lavender.

I took pics, but it was sunny and I didn't like the results.

I am enjoying all these different color shots.

Great idea Nell.

glenda

it's actually the flower of the root vegetable, salsify--also called oyster plant (Tragopogon porrifolius). that one is 'sandwich island mammoth'.
there are yellow flowering ones, also. here is t. dubius:
{{gwi:628573}}
when the flowers go by, they make huge puffballs (there are remnants of one in this picture)~like dandelions only much bigger!

This photo of an ornamental pepper (called Black Pearl, I think) is from last year. Right now they're looking a little ragged from the drought:
{{gwi:628574}}
Eventually they'll get black colored berries that turn bright red as they ripen.

I had Black Pearl peppers two years ago. The prettiest part is the purple blooms.

{{gwi:628575}}
Black Pearl, click for bigger view.

I forgot about the flowers...they are pretty! Maybe I won't be getting any berries this year, since mine haven't bloomed yet.